National Games: slow start for Hong Kong beach volleyball, on and off the court
Schoolchildren dominate crowds on first day of event, as city’s top pair find experience ‘nerve-racking’ but are ‘getting a lot better’
The National Games in Hong Kong got off to a quiet start on Friday, with only a few hundred fans watching the first day of beach volleyball, but also with hopes voiced that younger attendees would be inspired.
Schoolchildren dominated the crowd as the action unfolded during working hours from 9am at a purpose-built venue in Victoria Park, in a competition that will run until November 10. Beach volleyball is one of eight sports Hong Kong will host at the Games.
Both the city’s women’s teams were defeated by their mainland counterparts. Hong Kong’s top pairing, twin sisters To Wing-man and To Wing-tung, were on court at 12pm and lost 2-0 to Chongqing.
The city’s second women’s duo, Au Yeung Wai-yan and Yeung Ting-chi, then followed and were beaten 2-0 by Jiangsu.
Anson Lau, 30, a PE and maths teacher, had brought Hong Kong Southern District Government Primary School’s young volleyball team to watch the matches, in the hope that the experience would further develop their love for the sport.
“We got free tickets from the Education Bureau,” she said. “I’ll teach the students about the game, tell them the names of the moves and the rules, and allow them to feel the vibe.