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Josh Ball

The 20th Asian Games officially get under way in Japan on Saturday, and the honour of leading the Hong Kong delegation into the opening ceremony has been handed to Ivan Yang and Lydia Sham.
At a welcome event on Thursday, Wong Po-kee, the chef de mission for Hong Kong’s more than 800-strong delegation, said the pair would be the city’s flag bearers for the event at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Officials and some of the city’s athletes attended a flag-raising at Nagoya Port Garden Pier, where they were joined by the delegations from China and Macau.
Wong, who is also honorary deputy secretary general of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, said he and his colleagues would do everything they could to support the 580 athletes who will represent the city across 38 sports.
“I hope they [the athletes] will enjoy competing and engaging with Asia’s top athletes, give their best performance and achieve new heights,” he added. “At the same time, I call on everyone to support and stand behind every athlete.”

Yang captained Hong Kong’s under-22 men’s basketball team at the National Games last year, and will represent the city in the 3x3 event in Japan. Sham, meanwhile, has hopes of coming back with a medal from her third Asian Games, having had an outstanding 2025, during which she won gold in the women’s Changquan – Jianshu – Qiangshu Combined event at The World Games in Chengdu, as well as gold in the women’s Changquan event at the World Wushu Championships.
With the first day of competition on Sunday involving Hong Kong’s cyclists, triathletes and swimmers, who are in Tokyo for their events, several teams are likely to miss the opening festivities.
Hopefully that will not be the case for 16-year-old Shum Chun-hei and Liu Hei-yu, who have already made history this week. Hong Kong has entered the modern pentathlon for the first time, with Shum in the men’s event and his teammate in the women’s. The city’s wrestlers and padel players are also making their debuts at the regional Games.
The Asian Games take place from September 19 to October 4.


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Hong Kong athletes and officials attended a welcome ceremony at Nagoya Port Garden Pier, alongside friends and rivals from the China and Macau teams. Photo: Sam Tsang

The Hong Kong flag was raised in Nagoya on Thursday. Photo: Sam Tsang

An Asian Games-themed light show projected across Kai Tak Stadium in support of the Hong Kong Team for the event starting on Saturday. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong’s Grace Lau won bronze in the individual kata in Hangzhou three years ago. Photo: Xinhua

Siobhan Haughey defends the 200m freestyle title she won in Hangzhou on Monday. Photo: AP

Fencing kings Ryan Choi (left) and Cheung Ka-long start their campaigns on Tuesday. Photo: Elson Li

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He Jiting (right), seen here partnering Ren Xiangyu in the China Masters final in Shenzhen last week, will replace Chen Boyang in China's Asian Games squad. Photo: Xinhua

Chen Boyang (left) will be replaced by He Jiting, who will partner Liu Yi (right). Photo: Xinhua

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Sport

Hong Kong

Basketball and wushu athletes Ivan Yang and Lydia Sham to lead city’s delegation into event, as official urges team to ‘achieve new heights’


Basketball and wushu athletes Ivan Yang and Lydia Sham to lead city’s delegation into event, as official urges team to ‘achieve new heights’.


Wong Po-kee

Hong Kong give Yang, Sham honour of carrying city’s flag at Asian Games opening ceremony

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Basketball and wushu athletes Ivan Yang and Lydia Sham to lead city’s delegation into event, as official urges team to ‘achieve new heights’

Basketball and wushu athletes Ivan Yang and Lydia Sham to lead city’s delegation into event, as official urges team to ‘achieve new heights’