Sino Group throws support behind aspiring Olympic breakdancers as ‘Road to Paris’ begins
- Several breaking athletes from Bboy Just Roc to Bboy Bigki, Bboy Drunk and Bboy FishBall will judge the competition
- The event will be supported by DJs and graffiti artists, who also play important roles in the breaking culture
A growing number of the city’s professional breaking athletes will begin their Olympic journey on June 12 in the opening round of Hong Kong team qualifiers.
Sino Group, operator of shopping centre Olympian City, will play host to the Hong Kong Breaking Team Qualifiers Round 1 in collaboration with the Breaking Division of the Hong Kong DanceSport Association.
Qualifiers will compete in 1-on-1 battles, with contestants divided into six groups for Bboys and Bgirls. The 16 contestants with the best accumulative results will represent Hong Kong in international breaking competitions as they strive for Paris 2024 Olympics qualification.
Sino has recruited local breaking athletes to judge the competition, which starts at 10am and runs through to 9pm at Central Atrium.
While breaking is seen by some as an informal sport, its inclusion in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has opened up a new world of opportunity for breaking athletes. On June 11, Olympian City will organise an introduction day to the sport, where breaking coaches will teach basic moves and techniques.
The coach will also explain the rules, judging criteria and ways of appreciation so that the participants can better understand breaking as a professional sport and the breaking culture.
The event will be supported by DJs and graffiti artists, who also play important roles in breaking culture.
Apart from breaking, 3x3 basketball will also feature in Paris 2024, following its addition to the Olympic sports programme as a new sport during Tokyo 2020.
On July 9 and 10, Olympian City will turn its Central Atrium into a 3x3 basketball court for the “Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong) Kids Basketball Camp”, where participants will learn 3x3 basketball moves and shooting techniques from professional coaches.
Andrea Leung, group general manager of marketing at Sino Group, said Sino Malls has committed itself to the development of new sports, particularly new Olympic sports including breaking, skateboarding and 3x3 basketball.
