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Local pilot Wil Ho Wing-chi was crowned champion at the FAI Hong Kong Open Drone Racing Championship after a stellar outing in Cyberport over the weekend.
A total of 16 entrants competed for the city’s number one spot, with Ho storming to the main event win, while Kay Chan and Chris Lee finished second and third, respectively.
All pilots built their own drones, controlling them through tracks and obstacles via first-person view (FPV) racing goggles and camera sets, while judges observed various speed, accuracy and skill criteria.
The event doubled as a Hong Kong representative team selection, with those selected set to feature at prominent international events through the next two years.
Hong Kong, ranked fourth in Asia and eighth in the world, is considered a serious contender at the annual World Drone Racing Championship organised by The World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Though cancelled last year, its 2019 edition was held in Ningbo, China, the previous year in Shenzhen.
Though still relatively new to the sports world, it is set to feature as a main sport at the 2022 World Games in the US and a demonstration sport at the postponed Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand in 2023.