Pickleball today, rugby tomorrow: Hong Kong family office begins sports push
Pickleball partnership is LIT Sports Global’s first foray into industry, and talks are afoot to take Hong Kong franchise into Japanese rugby
Signing three of Hong Kong’s best pickleball players to professional contracts is just the start of one family office’s foray into the world of sport, its top official has told the Post.
With a rapidly expanding player base at the grass-roots level, the cross between table tennis and tennis is projected to have more than 20 million participants globally by 2026.
And LIT Sports Global, an investment arm of TGG Holdings, believes the city could become a world power in the same manner as it has in fencing.
But visions of turning Hong Kong into a true sporting hub do not stop there, with Barry Lau, TGG’s founder, confirming the private family office was in talks with Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) about supporting the creation of the city’s first franchise.
Having already contracted 35 players to a full-time programme, HKCR bosses have been exploring the feasibility of placing a team in Japan’s domestic structure ahead of the men’s World Cup debut in 2027.
“That needs to happen, and we’re 200 per cent behind this, we want to be behind this,” Lau said.