National Games: Kho, Ding to lead Hong Kong’s golfers in search of gold at Fanling

Taichi Kho and Ginnie Ding will lead a Hong Kong team of established and rising stars into a National Games challenge that could pit them against some of the best in the world.

With the likes of men’s star Li Haotong, who finished in a tie for fourth at the Open Championship last month, and women’s world No 5 Yin Ruoning among their potential opponents, the city has named a strong squad for November’s tournament, which is being played at Hong Kong Golf Club.

Asian Tour star Kho will be joined by two of his Asian Games bronze medal-winning teammates, Matthew Cheung and Jason Hak Sun-yat, with amateur Jeffrey Shen Wang-ngai completing the foursome.

Ding, who is playing her debut season on the Ladies European Tour, is joined by Olympian Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching, Arianna Lau and Sophie Han.

Kho, who took individual gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and won the World City Championship at Fanling to become the first Hongkonger to win on the Asian Tour, said it would be a “really special experience to play in such a prestigious event in front of friends and family”.

Danny Lai, the Golf Association of Hong Kong, China CEO, said hosting the tournament showed “just how far the game has come in Hong Kong”.