South China Morning Pos / Sport

1. Club World Cup: Chelsea boss calls playing in ‘empty’ stadium ‘strange’

   Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said it was “strange” to play in front of 50,000 empty seats during his side’s Fifa Club World Cup Group D opener on Monday. The Blues beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, with the attendance recorded at 22,137 – far short of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s capacity of 71,000. “I think the environment was a bit strange – the stadium was almost empty, not full,” Maresca said. “We are professional and we have to adapt to the situation, to the environment.” “You have to adapt...

2. Finding next Messi the goal for Hong Kong teen on Manchester United visit

   One of the outstanding young Hong Kong leaders chosen to visit Manchester United next month has set himself the long-term goal of unearthing talent for the city the way Barcelona discovered Lionel Messi. Jacky Cheung Lok-hei was one of six ecstatic teenagers who discovered they were bound for the UK at the 10th Jockey Club Youth Football Leadership Scheme graduation ceremony on Sunday. They were chosen from the 53 15-to-19-year-olds who completed the six-month programme, operated in conjunction...

3. Indian football supporter feels threatened after video on Hong Kong fans’ actions

   A female Indian football fan said she has been harassed online after posting a video on her YouTube channel about being confronted by Hong Kong supporters during the match at Kai Tak Stadium last week. The Indian-born Hong Kong resident, who gave her name as Yaga, accused a home fan of throwing water at her after the AFC Asian Cup qualifying match, during which she supported India but was seated in a Hong Kong section. She said the same fan also showed her a middle finger, while she accused...

4. FC Barcelona reveal Asia pre-season tour destinations, ticket details

   Barcelona will return to Asia for the first time in six years this summer, with pre-season matches lined up in Japan and South Korea, the club confirmed on Monday. There had been speculation about a potential visit by the Catalans to Hong Kong, but the city does not feature on the tour schedule. The Spanish double winners will face Japanese side Vissel Kobe in a friendly match on July 27 at the Noevir Kobe Stadium, which holds 30,000 people. Next, boss Hansi Flick and his players will travel to...

5. St James’s Palace showdown headlines star-studded first day of Royal Ascot

   Formlines from the English, Irish and French 2,000 Guineas will collide in a pulsating running of the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes (1,600m) to headline day one of Royal Ascot on Tuesday. Field Of Gold and Ruling Court – who locked horns in the Group One 2,000 Guineas (1,600m) at Newmarket in May – will renew their rivalry once again, with the former looking to exact revenge for a half-length defeat. Ruling Court, trained by Charlie Appleby, got first run that day over Field Of Gold, who...

6. Fans have final chance at tickets to see Arsenal v Tottenham, Milan v Liverpool

   Organisers of the Hong Kong Football Festival in July have announced a “limited and final” batch of tickets will be released for public sale this week. Kai Tak Stadium will host matches between AC Milan and Liverpool, and Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, on July 26 and 31 respectively. An initial tranche of tickets sold out within hours during last month’s public sale, and a final batch, released because of returns and reallocations, will go on sale at midday on Thursday via Cityline. Fans can...

7. China’s first winner at Le Mans 24 Hours race says he is in dreamland

   Ye Yifei said he felt like he was dreaming after becoming China’s first winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race with Robert Kubica’s AF Corse team in France late on Sunday. In a thrilling 93rd edition of the race, the top four were separated by just over 20 seconds going into the final 15 minutes. Former Formula One driver Kubica of Poland and his co-drivers Ye and Britain’s Philip Hanson finished just 14.084 seconds ahead of a Porsche driven by Kevin Estre, Matt Campbell and Laurens...

8. Why this Brazilian football veteran refuses to leave Hong Kong after 17 years

   More than 17 years after she handed over the DVDs that secured her honeymooning son a sudden move to Hong Kong, Helio Goncalves’ mother would like him back in Brazil to work in the family’s boat licensing business. Released by Kitchee last month after 11 years at the club, centre-back Goncalves is hunting for a new employer. But the 39-year-old, who spent his opening six years in Hong Kong with Citizen, is planning to keep mum waiting. “Hong Kong is my place, I became a better man here –...

9. Hong Kong snatch triathlon bronze after rival disqualified

   Hong Kong’s mixed relay team earned a surprise bronze medal at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Taizhou on Sunday, thanks to the disqualification of one of the teams ahead of them. Crossing the line in fourth, the quartet of Wong Tsz-to, Nick Tsang Cheung-sing, and Cade and Tallulah Wright were bumped up a spot after Sichuan failed to serve a race penalty. Shandong took gold in 1:35.07, ahead of Liaoning (1:36.30), with Hong Kong clocking 1:37.33. Despite the podium finish, head coach Andrew Wright...

10. Zheng Qinwen explains change of shoes after another mid-game stoppage in London

    China’s Zheng Qinwen has spoken about her struggle to find a usable pair of shoes for grass-court tennis after again changing footwear at the Queen’s Club Championships in London. Olympic champion Zheng changed her shoes during the sixth game of the deciding set of her semi-final defeat by Amanda Anisimova of the United States on Saturday. She had already drawn an unimpressed response from the home crowd when she changed shoes mid-game in Friday’s quarter-final win over Emma Raducanu, opting to...

11. Douglas left frustrated by Hong Kong’s winning start to World Cup bid

    Frustration is not the overriding emotion you would normally expect on the back of a convincing 43-10 win, but then Hong Kong men’s head coach Andrew Douglas has exacting standards. The Kiwi watched his side ultimately cruise past the United Arab Emirates in their opening Asia Rugby Championship fixture at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on Saturday, but was not exactly thrilled with how they put together a six-try performance. He had a point. A sloppy opening 10 minutes, which might generously have...

12. 2025 National Games: real-name ticket system may be used, Hong Kong office says

    Hong Kong’s coordination office for the National Games is studying whether to adopt a real-name system for tickets at prices ranging from a few dozen Hong Kong dollars up to about HK$500 (US$64). Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office, said on Saturday that tickets would be sold from August on a unified platform for events to be held in the city, Macau and Guangdong province in November. “It is estimated that the ticket prices will range from a few dozen dollars to about...

13. Wunderbar bounces back to top form with slashing Class Two win at Sha Tin

    Known as the only horse to have beaten superstar Ka Ying Rising, talented sprinter Wunderbar bounced back from a string of out-of-character defeats with a stylish win at Sha Tin on Saturday night. Beaten on his previous four starts after starting his career in a blaze of glory, the John Size-trained gelding saluted for punters who crunched him late from $7 to $3.5 favouritism in the Class Two HKU Business School And Faculty Of Engineering Handicap (1,200m). Hugh Bowman settled Wunderbar...

14. Wong waves goodbye to 7lb claim after bagging his maiden Sha Tin turf double

    Ellis Wong Chi-wang continued his red-hot streak and out-rode his 7lb claim thanks to his first Sha Tin turf double aboard Aerovolanic and Joy Of Spring on Saturday. The 24-year-old got off to the perfect start when Aerovolanic, a dual trial winner, weaved his way through traffic to make a winning debut in the Class Four HKU Heritage Handicap (1,200m). Wong travelled just ahead of midfield on the Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained four-year-old, with the debutant looking very green and rolling around...

15. Bailee Brown makes comeback as Hong Kong triathletes compete in Taizhou race

    Bailee Brown made a determined return at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Taizhou on Saturday in her first race since a serious finger injury last December, but was forced to withdraw late in the run. Brown kept pace early, finishing the opening 1.5 kilometres swim just three seconds behind eventual winner Huang Anqi in her first race for eight months. On the bike leg, Brown rode with fellow Hong Kong athlete Cade Wright in a group of three before dehydration forced her to stop 3km from the finish of...

16. Hayes brothers and Clark combine as War Machine lands the Stradbroke

    War Machine lived up to his name with an explosive display to win the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1,400m) at Eagle Farm for the Hayes brothers. Ridden by Tim Clark, the winner of 59 races in Hong Kong including the 2013 Classic Cup on It Has To Be You, the Harry Angel gelding settled just forward of midfield, sitting three wide with cover. Hooked out on the turn, War Machine charged home down the outside and readily collared the leaders, winning by just under a length from a fast-finishing...

17. Cristiano Ronaldo to play in Hong Kong? City to host Saudi Super Cup

    Cristiano Ronaldo could be among an array of big-name footballers descending on Hong Kong in August after it was confirmed the city would stage the Saudi Super Cup. The four-team tournament, involving Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Qadsiah, will be staged at Hong Kong Stadium from August 19 to 23. Kai Tak Stadium is reportedly set to stage a series of concerts in August by Hong Kong singer G.E.M., which would make it unavailable for the Saudi fixtures. Superstar Ronaldo has spent the past...

18. ONE Championship: Naito demands Takeru bout – ‘I’m underrated, he’s overrated’

    Rising contender Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito has demanded a place on the ONE 173 card when ONE Championship returns to Japan in November While no fights have been officially confirmed, Naito is campaigning hard for what would be the biggest opportunity of his career – a homecoming clash with compatriot Takeru Segawa. “I want to fight at ONE 173,” Naito told the Post. “And it would be great if I could compete with Takeru in Japan. “I haven’t fought in Japan for a long time, but I want to show my...

19. Max Denmark aims to transfer his Hong Kong Sevens X-factor to city’s 15s quest

    A lot has happened since Max Denmark last pulled on a 15s jersey for Hong Kong in 2018. An ever-present in the city’s sevens side, Denmark has accumulated Asian Games gold medals, regional dominance and some painful near misses in the bid to get the men’s team to the highest level. Throughout it all there have been tries – lots and lots of tries. There were three alone in a 31-7 rout of China during the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in March. The 25-year-old also has two from eight previous Test...

20. SCMP Best Bets: Win a pot of gold with Rainbow Seven at Sha Tin

    Sam Agars WINNING DATA - R5 (1) Rises in trip, drops in grade and gets some weight off thanks to Ellis Wong   Jay Rooney PING HAI COMET - R6 (3) Has struck form with backto- back wins and looks hard to beat again   Trackwork Spy GENTLEMEN LEGACY - R9 (7) Can go one better after a strong second last start   Phillip Woo HAROLD WIN - R7 (1) Looks ready to add another win to his solid Class Four form   Shannon (Vincent Wong) RAINBOW SEVEN - R3 (3) Showed a good turn of foot over this C&D last start...