Hong Kong fighter Chong chases late bout fee, as promoter threatens legal action
Muay Thai fighter Emily Chong says she and others owed tens of thousands of dollars. Promoter Space One says it is owed money by partners
One of Hong Kong’s top Muay Thai fighters said a local promoter still owed tens of thousands of dollars to her and six other athletes for a competition that took place in mainland China last year.
Emily Chong Lok-ming took to social media to complain that Space One Champions Event had withheld her purse and that of “all Hong Kong and certain foreign fighters”.
The 19-year-old, who asked for her total fee not to be disclosed, told the Post she had been trying to get her payment from company founder Joker Li Yiu-lun since November last year.
The Post has been told Space One owed at least HK$50,000 to various fighters who took part in the event in Foshan on November 16.
On Saturday, Li initially said he had “no comment, thank you” when contacted by the Post.
However, Space One Production Limited then released a statement in response “to the recent spread of false statements on social media” in which it accused its partners of not paying funds it was owed, apologised to the fighters and organisations affected, and threatened legal action over the “dissemination of false information”.