Asian Winter Games: Hong Kong beaten to curling bronze by China, as Philippines win gold
City’s men’s curlers were aiming to earn Hong Kong’s first ever Asian Winter Games medal
Hong Kong’s men’s curling team missed out on what would have been the city’s first ever Asian Winter Games medal as they lost their bronze final against China on Friday morning.
The city’s squad of Jason Chang, Martin Yan Ho-tin, Cheng Ching-nam, Chung Cheuk-hei and Ma Chi-lap were defeated 10-3 by the mainland team.
China, represented by Xu Xiaoming, Fei Xueqing, Wang Zhiyu, Li Zhichao and Ye Jianjun, went 5-1 ahead after three ends and did not look back.
The Philippines took gold after winning the final against South Korea.
This year’s Games are the first to which Hong Kong has sent a curling team. The city has appeared in six previous Asian Winter Games, going back to the first in Sapporo in 1986, but never won a medal.
Led by captain Chang, they lost their first match, also against China, but went on to prevail in their remaining four round-robin matches, seeing off Thailand, Japan and Qatar before finishing with a 15-1 thrashing of Saudi Arabia.