Latest news with #ColemanWongChak-lam
South China Morning Post
26-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Firing on all cylinders': Hong Kong tennis reprieved from doomsday-scenario funding cut
Removing elite status from Hong Kong tennis would have caused significant turbulence for a sport that is 'firing on all cylinders', according to the head of the local association. Advertisement Tennis had been threatened with demotion to Tier B standing at the city's Sports Institute, until new eligibility criteria drawn up this week handed the sport a minimum two-year stay of execution. Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), said Coleman Wong Chak-lam's run to the third round of this week's Miami Open was illustrative of Hong Kong tennis' efforts in nurturing elite players. He also backed the idea that a sport should be rewarded for staging major events. Hong Kong hosts one ATP 250, one WTA 250 and one WTA 125 tournament every year. Last year, the larger women's event was named tournament of the year at WTA 250 level, reclaiming a prize it first won in 2018. 'Tennis is one of the sports in Hong Kong that can be industrialised, commercialised and professionalised,' Cheng said. 'You need three building blocks: events, infrastructure, and elite and development pathway. They all go hand in hand. Advertisement 'Hong Kong is only the third Asian city to host both ATP and WTA events. We've won two global awards, and counting. Having our athletes featuring and doing well in our events will drive economic growth … and community engagement.'
South China Morning Post
21-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Coleman Wong becomes first Hong Kong tennis player to win ATP Masters 1000 tournament match
Coleman Wong Chak-lam became the first Hongkonger to win an ATP Masters 1000 tournament match on Thursday, beating Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Miami Open. Advertisement James Allemby, Wong's coach, hailed the victory and said his young charge had looked comfortable against the German world No 82. Up next for Wong is American world No 14 Ben Shelton, who he faces on Saturday. 'What I liked about [the victory] was that it was so sustainable,' said Allemby, who guided Wong to a career-high ranking of 128 last year. 'There was never a feel of him redlining or really playing outside himself. It looked like a match that he could have won so many times in his career already, it looked like a Challenger match to him.' The first set in the afternoon's match in Miami went with serve until Wong broke with some smart play. The 20-year-old moved Altmaier from corner to corner before rushing to the net to hit a volley his counterpart could return only into Wong's waiting drop shot.
South China Morning Post
08-02-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Tennis stars want investigation into pros using focus-enhancing ADHD drug
Several tennis professionals want the game's governing bodies to investigate the number of players taking ADHD medication, claiming it could enhance their focus in matches. James Allemby, coach of Hong Kong's No 1 tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam, said the issue deserved 'a bigger lens' than the doping scandals surrounding multiple grand slam winners Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. The debate around players diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder taking Adderall, which contains amphetamine and makes the user more awake, focused and calm, was reignited earlier this year when Brazilian Karue Sell said the sport was not clean. 'The feeling you get when you're on Adderall is that you're locked in all the time,' Allemby said. 'You don't have that loose second serve return when you're down 15-40 in a match, it just doesn't happen because you're so tuned in.' Speaking on a tennis podcast in January, when asked if the sport was clean, Sell said no and referenced the use of Adderall. James Allemby (right) coaches Hong Kong's No 1 men's tennis player, Coleman Wong Chak-lam (left). Photo: Instagram/ hambittttt 'We've got a bunch of guys taking Adderall,' Sell said. 'I personally don't think tennis is clean, I'm more on the case of players who can take Adderall [where] you can just be locked in mentally for hours.
