The 15th National Games are set to commence, with the beach volleyball event, hosted by Hong Kong, kicking off on Friday (Oct. 31). Yeung Tak-keung, Head of the National Games Coordination Office (NGCO), stated that the competition venue at Victoria Park has undergone a "transformation" in accordance with the highest standards of the National Games.
"This is the largest beach volleyball competition venue ever built in Hong Kong, featuring seven courts, including a main court, secondary court, warm-up and training courts. Both the sand and lighting at the venue have been meticulously selected and calibrated."
Hong Kong men's beach volleyball representative Tse Kin-wang praised the facilities as "world-class," describing the "Hong Kong home ground" as "perfect with a full score."
For the 15th National Games, Hong Kong will host eight competition events, with beach volleyball starting on Friday (Oct. 31) at Victoria Park. Yeung mentioned that the transformation of Victoria Park took about a week, with all facilities meeting the highest standards of the National Games. Both the venue and hospitality have been recognized by all participating athletes, and preparations are complete for the first event in the Hong Kong segment.
"We set up seven beach volleyball courts at Victoria Park, including main and secondary courts, warm-up and training courts, making it the largest venue ever for beach sports in Hong Kong. Everything was done according to the highest National Games standards. Beyond the venue, the athletes are very satisfied with the accommodation and catering."
He also emphasized that the venue has been reviewed by experts, athletes, and coaches from the Chinese Volleyball Association and the Volleyball Association of Hong Kong, China, all of whom expressed satisfaction with the facilities.
Highest, national games standards
The main beach volleyball court at Victoria Park for the National Games has 1,300 seats, while the secondary court can accommodate about 400 people. Yeung noted that ticket sales for the finals and semi-finals are strong, but there are still plenty of tickets available for the preliminary rounds.
He believes more citizens will purchase tickets after the draw: "I know many fans want to see when the Hong Kong team will play before buying tickets. I believe more people will buy tickets after the draw. The biggest feature of this venue is its location in the city center, which creates a great atmosphere and convenient transportation. So, we expect more people to come and support."
Citizens can also experience the charm of beach volleyball through the on-site "fan zone." In addition to the official souvenir shop and game booths, there is a beach volleyball court for spectators, where athletes and coaches will personally teach beach volleyball skills.
Men's beach volleyball representative Tse described the Victoria Park National Games beach volleyball court as "full score," believing it will help promote the sport in Hong Kong.
"The sand's firmness is just right, helping athletes perform at their best. I think hosting the beach volleyball event at Victoria Park is very attractive for citizens and serves as a great promotion, showing everyone that beach volleyball can also be held in the city center, making it very versatile. I would give this venue a full score, firstly because it's Hong Kong's home ground, and secondly, even compared to international standards, the facilities, lighting, and sand here are no less impressive, reaching world-class levels."
With home ground advantage, women's team aims for top eight
Over 50 teams from across the country will compete in the beach volleyball event at the National Games. The Hong Kong team will send three pairs—one male and two female—to participate. Women's team representative To Wing-tung stated that their goal is to reach the top eight, and with the home ground advantage, they are confident of achieving good results with the support of family and friends.
The Hong Kong team will send six players to compete in the National Games beach volleyball event. Among them, To Wing-tung and To Wing-mean will form a "sister duo."
To Wing-tung said their goal is to reach the top eight, and they have intensified their preparations: "Since the National Games matches will be held both in the morning and evening, we've arranged training sessions accordingly, which helps us adapt to the lighting. Moreover, we already tested the venue during the trial event in April, giving us an earlier opportunity than other teams, which counts as a home ground advantage."
However, To Wing-tung believes the biggest home ground advantage is the support from the audience: "The happiest and most important thing is that we can hear familiar languages cheering for us during the competition. This is rare when competing abroad. Also, ticket purchases require real-name registration, so it's easy for family and friends to buy tickets and watch us compete. Causeway Bay is conveniently located, so even elderly family members won't find it too difficult to come and watch. This is the greatest support for us."
As for Tse, he mentioned that to prepare for the National Games, he participated in several competitions in mainland China during July and August, giving him some familiarity with the playing styles of the opponents: "We've made some adjustments targeting the mainland players' styles. Mainland players are generally taller, so we've strengthened our first-pass training, hoping to gain an advantage with a fast-paced game."
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Kwok Ching-hin; English Editor: Darius)
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