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Paul McNamara

After the Hong Kong Football Festival finished on Thursday, the city’s attention has turned the major role it will play in staging the 2025 National Games.
Saturday marked 100 days until the multi-sports bonanza starts on November 9, with eight competition events being hosted in Hong Kong.
Yeung Tak-keung, head of the city’s National Games Coordination Office, has acknowledged that potential success on home soil was a factor determining which sports would come to the city.
“One of the considerations is the competitiveness of our athletes,” Yeung said. He identified fencing, rugby sevens, golf and track cycling as likely sources for Hong Kong medals.
The city’s triathletes, men’s handball players, and representatives in beach volleyball and under-22 men’s basketball will get a shot at glory in front of hometown support, too.

Announcing last year which sports would come to the city, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said: “The [Hong Kong] government will adhere to the principle of ‘simple, safe and wonderful’ in organising the Games, making full use of existing venues.” Government estimates forecast 150,000 visitors for the Games would spend at least HK$600 million.
When Hong Kong was confirmed as a joint host of the 15th Games, along with Guangdong and Macau, there was only one likely location to stage fencing, as the sport enjoys a golden boom in this city: the new 10,000-seat Kai Tak Arena, from November 15 to 20.
Only last week, foilist Ryan Choi Chun-yin became Hong Kong’s first fencing world champion, adding to Olympic golds won by Cheung Ka-long and Vivian Kong Man-wai last year, and Cheung’s Olympic title from 2021.
Greg Koenig, the coach who oversaw Cheung’s and Choi’s feats, promised to “sit down with Ryan to plan the best approach for him to peak at the National Games”.
With the city waiting for its first National Games fencing champion, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, the secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said: “I hope the Hong Kong China fencing team will continue to strive for excellence. I have faith in them to perform spectacularly again in the 15th National Games.”
While Hong Kong’s rugby sevens teams continue to seek relevance outside Asia, they are serially competitive closer to home.
The men are two-time defending Asian Games champions. They twice beat China comfortably in this year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, and it is unthinkable that any of the seven provinces competing at Kai Tak Stadium could stop them storming to National Games gold.

The city’s women will face a sterner test, given multiple provinces are picking from a China squad that competes on the HSBC SVSN Series and reached last year’s Olympic quarter-finals.
Officials have floated the possibility of selling three-day tickets for the competitions, scheduled for November 12 to 14.
Ceci Lee Sze-wing claimed road cycling gold in 2021, but the 24-year-old’s sights are fixed on winning the omnium this year.
“I was at the last National Games to learn, no one expected anything from me,” Lee said. “Now, there is more expectation.
“Hong Kong is a stressful environment to compete in, but I’m learning to find the balance, so I turn that stress into motivation.”
Track cycling will happen at Hong Kong Velodrome, scene of the 2017 world championships, between November 13 and 17.
Herve Dagorne, the Hong Kong head coach, has set his squad the “very high target” of four cycling medals overall, although the association’s chairman, Leung Hung-tak, told the Post he saw podium potential in seven track disciplines.
Hong Kong sent its strongest contingent to last month’s China National Championships, but claimed only one medal, a Madison silver for Lee and Chloe Leung Wing-yee.
“The Chinese teams have such a reservoir of physical talent,” Dagorne said. “They’ve raised their level. We need to be perfect: technically, tactically and strategically.”
The triathlon events will take place on a Central Harbourfront course dubbed “the best in the world” by head coach Andrew Wright. The individual races and the mixed relay are set for November 15 and 16.
“The Games is going to be awesome,” Wright said. “It’s going to have a big impact on the development of triathlon in Hong Kong.”
Wright has acknowledged his sport must earn at least one medal to retain its Tier A funding from Hong Kong Sports Institute. None of his athletes finished higher than fifth at March’s test event, although the relay quartet claimed bronze.
Hong Kong boast the current Asian Games golf champion in Taichi Kho, but the world No 418 could encounter Hunan’s 82nd-ranked Li Haotong – who tied for fourth at last month’s Open Championship – in a strong field in Fanling from November 13 to 16.
The city’s men will aim to emulate their 2013 predecessors, who claimed silver, while the women, spearheaded by Ginnie Ding and Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching, will have a tall order to triumph individually or collectively, given mainland talent led by major winner and world No 4 Yu Ruoning.

Jiangsu will defend their men’s handball crown at Kai Tak Sports Arena from November 1, eight days before the Games’ official launch.
After Hong Kong beat Macau at the venue in February, Hong Kong’s Freddie Tse Wing-fai, a veteran of three Asian Games, said: “Playing here with friends and family in the stands, and hearing them singing and cheering in Cantonese, was such a thrill.”
Tse, who also played in the 2017 National Games, added: “We are aiming to snatch a medal but we must improve … our standard is probably around sixth or seventh right now.
“The more we get used to playing here, and if we have more people supporting us, maybe we can perform better.”
Victoria Park will stage an innovative city-centre beach volleyball competition from October 31 to November 10, when the 10-day U22 basketball event begins at the 12,500-seat Hong Kong Coliseum.
With tickets priced at what Yeung called an “affordable level” of HK$50 (US$6) to HK$500, it is hoped that around 300,000 people will join another Hong Kong party.


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2025 National Games

National Games co-host Hong Kong plots glory as it starts 100-day countdown

Cheung Ka-long is expected to challenge for Hong Kong’s first National Games gold medal in November. Photo: EPA-EFE

Ryan Choi celebrates winning World Fencing Championships gold. Photo: AFP

James Kee on the charge during a Hong Kong Sevens victory for the hosts over China. Photo: Sam Tsang

 Yeung Tak-keung holding National Games mascots Xiyangyang and Lerongrong. Photo: Mike Chan

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Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr shoots to score the winner against Arsenal at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Sam Tsang

Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli tries a shot in the first half. Photo: Elson Li

Son Heung-min in possession against Arsenal at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Elson Li

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Spurs’ South Korean star Son Heung-min prepares to come on as a substitute against Arsenal at Kai Tak Stadium on Thursday. Photo: Handout

The No 9 Spurs shirt designed by the company Parents Parents. Photo: Handout

Jimson and Wong Tin-yau wearing their Spurs shirts at Kai Tak Stadium before the match. Photo: Handout

Sport

China

Hong Kong

City staging eight events at 15th edition and eyeing medal opportunities in fencing, cycling, golf, rugby sevens and triathlon


City staging eight events at 15th edition and eyeing medal opportunities in fencing, cycling, golf, rugby sevens and triathlon.


National Games co-host Hong Kong plots glory as it starts 100-day countdown

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}City staging eight events at 15th edition and eyeing medal opportunities in fencing, cycling, golf, rugby sevens and triathlon

City staging eight events at 15th edition and eyeing medal opportunities in fencing, cycling, golf, rugby sevens and triathlon