Editorial | Snooker drama gives Hong Kong a break from Covid
- World record attendance at Masters reflects how much Hong Kong has missed its top-level sport over the past three years
The successful staging of the Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament last weekend marked a welcome return to the city for international sport. It was the first major sports event to be hosted in Hong Kong since the pandemic began.
Fans were treated to a thrilling contest, with the highlight a maximum 147 break from local hero Marco Fu Ka-chun. The achievement, which saw Fu secure a place in the final, literally had the crowd on its feet.
The tournament, last held in 2017, set a world record for attendance at a snooker competition, with more than 8,000 watching Fu’s defeat in the final to world No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan. Hong Kong fans have a reputation for being crazy about snooker, but this tournament was special after almost three years in which the city has been starved of top-level sport.
High-profile sports events have been cancelled recently amid Covid-19 concerns, so there was much at stake for the snooker tournament. It got off to an anxious start when China’s Zhao Xintong tested positive and had to pull out.
Fans wore masks and no food was available. The players observed the city’s rules, but were given a limited exemption to allow them to practise and play at the tournament venue. That was a measured and sensible step.
