Hong Kong Sevens 2024: excitement of home tournament never gets old, Cado Lee says as he takes aim at China, Japan
- ‘It meant so much growing up, and after playing for 10 years, the excitement is not different from the first time,’ Lee says of home tournament
- Hosts keen to prove ‘we are the best in Asia’ when they face China and Japan in the Sevens’ three-team Melrose Claymores competition, he adds
Hong Kong star Cado Lee Ka-to is aiming to preserve a proud personal record and heap more misery on China at this year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
A mainstay of head coach Jevon Groves’ team, Lee has never been on the losing side against the mainland Chinese, who face Hong Kong in their opening fixture on Friday.
There are conflicting views over whether Hong Kong have been dealt a rough hand in their own tournament. The hosts are in the three-team Melrose Claymores competition, also featuring Japan, while the world’s 12 leading nations compete for the main prize.
Lee is “a bit sad to not play the top teams like New Zealand and Australia, because we can measure where we are against them”.
Equally, he understands the argument that says Hong Kong should earn the right to face elite opposition, rather than falling back on wild cards.