|
Hong Kong is not renowned for its sporting culture, perhaps because of its confined spaces and often unsuitable climate. Most locals have, at some time, dabbled in Tai Chi but you will rarely see kids kick a football around, mainly because of lack of space and because public parks are not really seen as makeshift pitches. That said, China’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup brought great enthusiasm and thousands watched their games on huge open-air TV screens. Hong Kong has always been pretty keen on racket sports like badminton, squash and table tennis, and there has been an increased interest in surfing and other watersports, probably inspired by their very heroine Lee Lai-shan who in 1996 won their first ever Olympic gold medal. You can participate in a good selection of watersports, from water-skiing lessons and renting bodyboards to diving, although the warm, safe waters of Hong Kong may not be everyone’s idea of adventure. The biggest and noisiest sporting event is the annual Rugby 7s, attracting visitors from all over the world and turning the city into an unofficial beer fest when the day’s play has ended and partying continues till dawn.
|
