National Games: home advantage gives city’s golfers reason for optimism, Ding, Yin pose threat
Taichi Kho, Ginnie Ding to lead teams into battle at Hong Kong Golf Club, but Ding Wenyi, Li Haotong, Yin Ruoning provide stiff competition
The reigning Asian Games champion, three-quarters of the Hong Kong men’s team that won bronze in Hangzhou, and home advantage, there are lots of reasons for the city’s golfers to feel optimistic ahead of the National Games next month.
Even facing the likes of defending champion Carl Yuan and Li Haotong in the men’s competition, and former world No 1 Yin Ruoning and Lily Muni He in the women’s event, the eight-strong squad will fancy their chances at Hong Kong Golf Club.
And it is not as though Hong Kong are outsiders. The city’s men won silver at the 2013 Games, and even without teammates around him, Jason Hak Shun-yat finished fourth in 2021, with Sophie Han 10th in the women’s individual tournament.
Both are back representing their city this time around, Hak with an Asian Games bronze medal added to his collection, and Han as a mainstay of the team.
There is an expectation then for home success, and Jonathan Wallet, a former development director and coach for the Golf Association of Hong Kong, China, said he believed the men and women were favourites to win and fans should “hope and expect at least one gold medal”.
