Hong Kong basketball ‘not giving up’ on Asian Games spot, top official says
Governing body’s chairman Chan Chi-hung says they have written to organisers stating a ‘strong desire to participate’
Hong Kong basketball officials say they have not given up hope of getting the city’s teams into the Asian Games, despite organisers cutting the numbers of associations taking part.
The tournament at September’s Games in Japan has been reduced from 16 teams to 12 for the men and kept at 12 for the women.
Regional rankings will be used to determine who plays, and Hong Kong’s men and women are 26th and 21st respectively, leaving them significantly short of qualifying.
But in a statement published on the Basketball Association of Hong Kong, China’s website on Thursday, new chairman Chan Chi-hung said the governing body had “not given up any opportunity” of being included.
“Upon learning of the competition format, we proactively wrote to the Basketball Asia Federation to express our strong desire to participate, outlining the Hong Kong, China basketball team’s long-standing involvement and contributions to international competitions, and earnestly requesting that we be granted the opportunity to participate,” Chan said.
“Our association will continue its efforts to address this decision and strive to secure qualification for our athletes at this final stage.”
