Philippines' shock loss adds to Hong Kong woe as city's Fiba Asia Cup hopes end
The 41-point pounding by the Tall Blacks in Group B left the Hongkongers still winless after their first five Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers, with a match against Chinese Taipei still to come on Sunday.
Playing in front of some empty seats at the 700-capacity arena, the home team took up the challenge of the visitors' pre-game haka by making a spirited start, scoring on their first six possessions to take a brief 12-11 lead.
The New Zealanders responded with a 15-9 run to set the tone. Shooting almost 65 per cent from behind the arc in the opening half, they led 52-33 by the break. Hong Kong's Tsang Cham-yuen tries to shoot despite the efforts of Taylor Britt. Photo: Elson Li
Ranked No 3 in the region, the away team, who had already qualified, stayed in control even if the pace slowed. Hong Kong, ranked 23 places below them, were limited to four points in the final quarter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
a day ago
- HKFP
Tickets for 4 National Games events in Hong Kong to go on sale in late August
Hongkongers will be able to purchase tickets for four National Games events hosted in the city, with sales kicking off later this month under a real-name registration system to combat scalping, organisers have said. Rugby sevens, beach volleyball, men's handball, and men's under-22 basketball are the four events hosted in Hong Kong, for which tickets will be available from August 28. The first phase will offer tickets for 17 events in total, organisers said at a joint press conference held in Guangzhou on Wednesday. Hong Kong will co-host the National Games for the first time in November, alongside Guangdong and Macau. Hong Kong will host a total of eight National Games events and three Paralympic events. Select events will be held at the city's flagship Kai Tak Sports Park. Tickets for the other four events in Hong Kong will be made available in phases in late September and early October. At the press conference on Wednesday, Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office in Hong Kong, said that ticket prices were designed to be affordable, ranging from 50 to 200 yuan for golf, triathlon, and beach volleyball. Ticket prices for stadium events – handball, basketball, rugby, track cycling, and fencing – will be priced between 50 and 500 yuan. Real-name registration Hongkongers need to register for an account to be able to purchase tickets starting in late August. Despite implementing the real-name registration system to combat scalping, it will still be possible to transfer tickets, organisers said. However, the procedures must be completed 24 hours before the event, Yeung also told reporters at the Wednesday press conference. Separately, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law encouraged people to register for an account as soon as possible. Law said she was confident that the real-name ticketing arrangement would effectively combat scalpers, adding that the organisers would keep a close eye on ticketing transfers. Hongkongers must use their Hong Kong identity card when purchasing tickets for events staged in Hong Kong and Macau, or their mainland travel permit for events in Guangdong. Tickets will also be available from China Travel Service (CTS) at 11 designated locations citywide. Residents who buy tickets from CTS will not need to register for an account in advance, but they will still have to register their name using their HKID card or mainland travel permit.
South China Morning Post
31-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Fiba Asia Cup: fans think China's men ‘all set up for failure' with Zhou Qi missing
Fans of the China men's basketball team should brace themselves for some bad results at the coming Fiba Asia Cup, with head coach Guo Shiqiang saying some of his best players were unavailable through injury. Zhou Qi was among those not listed in the initial 14-man roster for the tournament in Saudi Arabia, with the towering centre undergoing some untimely rehabilitation in the United States. Others missing from the squad included Zeng Fanbo, Zhang Zhenlin, Zhao Jiwei and Cui Yongxi, while Yang Hansen, who was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers at the NBA draft last month, has been given permission by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) to skip the tournament. 'We have too many injury problems with the national team – more than seven players will miss the Asian Cup,' Guo said. 'We have called up a lot of young players and don't have many post players at our disposal. 'The shortcomings in rotation have to be made up by the 12 of us. It's a team effort because that's what basketball is all about. 'Missing a lot of experienced players is going to be tough for us, but also a good opportunity for the young players. If a few of them emerge for us, it will be a good thing for the team.'
South China Morning Post
25-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Chinese centre Yang Hansen to skip Fiba Asia Cup to focus on developing game with Portland
Mainland Chinese social media users heaped praise on the Chinese Basketball Association after the governing body announced on Thursday that promising young centre Yang Hansen would not participate in the national team's training camp or the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup, allowing him to focus on his development with the Portland Trail Blazers. Advertisement Yang, the No 16 pick at last month's NBA Draft, will attend two short training camps hosted by the Trail Blazers beginning on August 11. 'After finishing his NBA Summer League stint, Chinese men's basketball player Yang Hansen immediately reported to head coach Guo Shiqiang about his experience in the draft combine and Summer League in the United States,' the Chinese Basketball Association said in a statement. 'He applied to the national team and the Chinese Basketball Association, hoping to participate in two short-term training camps organised by the Portland Trail Blazers starting on August 11 in order to better integrate with his new team and further improve his skills. These camps are designed for rookies and players who need continued development based on their Summer League performance.' The association added that the scheduling conflict between the Trail Blazers' camps and the Fiba Men's Asia Cup, held at Jeddah from August 5 to 17, prompted a decision to prioritize Yang's long-term development. Yang Hansen said he had learned a lot from playing in in four NBA Summer League games. Photo: AP Basketball fans on social media said in unison the CBA 'deserved praises' for their decisions.
