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Mike Chan
Mike Chan
Reporter, Sport
Mike joined SCMP in 2022 with 20 years of experience in sports journalism across various platforms. Previously working in Singapore as a producer with ESPN, Mike is a true sports lover with a particular interest in basketball and football, and has been a Liverpool fan since 1988.
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Jason Ng finishes sixth at Asian Triathlon Championships in Japan, but with China’s Fan Junjie grabbing podium spot the battle to top the rankings is still anyone’s to win.

The city’s athletes have secured just 20 places so far at this summer’s multi-sport event, compared with 46 in Tokyo, but several are still in the running for spots.

‘These are the rules we agreed with, so we have to follow them,’ Hong Kong coach Gregory Koenig says as continent quotas leave defending champion Cheung Ka-long as the city’s only foilist going to Paris.

City’s team start with two losses, but their star player Li Tsz-kwan says it provides valuable experience and asks: ‘How do we develop specific tactics and training plans?’

‘It’s a totally different thing to organise,’ head of Hong Kong committee Yeung Tak-keung says as he reveals city will have test events and join torch relay.

Teenage foilist Daphne Chan hailed as ‘inspiration for all Hong Kong female fencers’ after sealing place at Paris Games, as coach advises her ‘exactly what I said to Cheung Ka-long’ before his Olympic gold.

Ng’s four-placed finish could see him push ahead in race for Paris, as Robin Elg finished sixth and Mark Yu eighth; Bailee Brown was best women’s finisher.

Two late tries send Hong Kong’s men to 33-14 defeat against Japan, although sides could still meet in Sunday’s final. Micayla Baltazar scores brace as city’s women beat Thailand 28-10.

Hong Kong captain Natasha Olson-Thorne says marking her 50th appearance with a try in a swashbuckling victory over China, in front of a jubilant home crowd, is among her top-3 rugby moments

Salom Yiu has played in every Hong Kong Sevens for the hosts since 2010 but this will be the last for him as well as the current stadium. He will miss the South Stand, which he says ‘hypes us up’.

In TV documentary, the former NBA star says China will develop leaders only when the team start winning more, and urges younger players to test themselves overseas.