Hong Kong Football Festival: city basks in job well done, Spurs boss praises ‘perfect' occasion
Advertisement
By any metric, they would consider the past week to have been a success, on and off the field.
Almost 60,000 fans turned out just to see the four teams train, and nearly 100,000 passed through the gates at Kai Tak Stadium to watch Liverpool, AC Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham play the first pre-season games of substance in the city since the Asia Trophy in 2017.
For the second game running, the crowd broke the record for attendance at a sporting occasion at the city's newest venue. This time, 49,975 crammed in, just 25 people short of the official capacity, and among them was the stadium's 1 millionth visitor.
Rachel Carroll, managing director of promoters TEG Sport, said the week had been 'a thrilling experience for everyone involved'.
Tottenham players celebrate beating Arsenal in the Herbalgy Trophy at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Sam Tsang
'We can proudly say that the Hong Kong Football Festival has delivered on its promise to provide an unprecedented experience for football fans, right here in Hong Kong,' Carroll added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
22 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
2025 World Games: Lau and Sham to carry Hong Kong flag at opening ceremony in Chengdu
This year's World Games in Chengdu are expected to open on Thursday with a dazzling display of fireworks, drones and featuring the pandas that give the city its name. And Alex Lau Tsz-kwan and Lydia Sham Hiu-yu, who compete in squash and wushu respectively, will serve as Hong Kong's flag bearers at the ceremony at the Tianfu International Convention Centre, an honour officials said marked their 'remarkable achievements in international competition'. Lau claimed the men's singles title at the 23rd Asian Squash Individual Championships held in Malaysia this June, becoming just the third Hong Kong athlete to win a gold in the event. 'It is an incredible honour to be the flag bearer,' he said. 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I will do my best to showcase the spirit of the team.' Sham, meanwhile, is carrying her city's flag for the second time, having previously done so at the Covid-delayed World University Games in Chengdu in 2023. Lydia Sham has already had the honour of being a flag bearer. Photo: Nora Tam 'To be the flag bearer again in the same city is truly a special experience,' said Sha, who won a medal of each colour at the third Taolu World Cup in Japan last October.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
British, Japanese rivals key to Hong Kong triathlete's National Games quest
Asian under-23 triathlon champion Robin Elg has said training alongside British and Japanese rivals will help him reach his potential at China's National Games in November. Elg has overcome numerous health issues, including a worrying heart problem that was detected in 2022, to become Hong Kong's brightest young prospect. And ahead of a season-defining three months, he has set up an 'insanely good' base at altitude in Font-Romeu, alongside rivals from Great Britain including 2024 Olympic medallist Sam Dickinson, and Japan's Kenji Nener. Fellow Hongkonger Oscar Coggins joined them. 'Our last run session was the best I've had for years, because we don't have that level of competition in Hong Kong,' Elg said. 'Training at home can create tensions, because we're competing with each other. 'Being in an environment with phenomenal athletes pushes you to your best level. It's my first time training with people who are better than me and I'm going to learn a lot from these guys.' Elg in action during a 2024 Asia Triathlon Cup race in Kazakhstan. Photo: TAHKC Elg is preparing for the Asia Triathlon Championships in Istanbul this month. The 23-year-old will then target October's World Under-23 Championships.
South China Morning Post
16 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong aiming to produce world snooker champion with help of Judd Trump, Neil Robertson
Superstar duo Judd Trump and Neil Robertson have set themselves the ambitious target of producing Hong Kong's first world snooker champion. Zhao Xintong finally broke mainland China's World Championship duck this year, but Marco Fu Ka-chun's 2006 and 2016 semi-final runs have been the best of it for Hong Kong. Fu's compatriot Ng On-yee won the most recent of her three women's world titles in 2019. The former world champion pair of Trump and Robertson, who both have Hong Kong residency, co-founded the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Academy, which was officially opened on Wednesday. 'There's been a gap between Marco and On-yee, and the next talent to come through,' Trump said. 'Maybe that's because there aren't enough snooker facilities in Hong Kong that are right for children. Neil Robertson and Judd Trump (left and right in the middle) with young players at the academy. Photo: Jonathan Wong 'A lot of clubs are dingy and smoky, so it's nice to open a professional facility to practise.
