Hong Kong handball star praises Kai Tak fans, eyes podium finish at National Games
Their 33-19 victory over Macau was watched by around 1,500 fans inside the 10,000-seater arena
Hong Kong handball veteran Freddie Tse Wing-fai praised the home crowd at the Kai Tak Arena during Saturday’s test event, adding it gives them a chance to aim for a podium finish at the November National Games.
The 33-19 victory over Macau was watched by around 1,500 fans in the 10,000-seater arena with the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China, distributing around 6,000 tickets free of charge earlier this week at its Causeway Bay office.
Hong Kong saw their 18-9 half-time lead sliced by more than half after going through a nine-minute scoring drought after the restart, which will have been a concern with traditional powerhouses Jiangsu looming in Sunday’s final.
The hosts, however, recovered to seal a 14-point win, and captain Tse said his team felt the support of the home crowd.
“We rarely get to play senior tournaments on home soil, we have never hosted the Asian Games or the Asian Championships before,” he said. “But playing here with friends and family in the stands, and hearing them singing and cheering in Cantonese was such a thrill.
“When we play overseas, we are usually the underdogs with the fans against us, so I hope we can make the most of the home crowd this time.”