The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory.
Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium.
They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour.
Photo: AFP
Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s bid to re-establish the territory as a hub for international sports, culture and entertainment.
The biggest event in rugby sevens, with organizers saying they have sold a record 130,000 tickets for the tournament, which concludes on Sunday, is seen as key to restoring Hong Kong’s reputation.
The territory’s image took a battering after political protests led to Beijing imposing a sweeping National Security Law. Visitor numbers plummeted during almost three years of COVID-19 restrictions and have only recently begun to recover.
Photo: AFP
“We feel very fortunate, via the hosting of the sevens, to be able to help strengthen the role of Hong Kong as one of the world’s most vibrant and accessible destinations for major international events,” said Chris Brooke, chairman of organizers Hong Kong China Rugby.
The annual tournament, which has witnessed the emergence of rugby greats such as Jonah Lomu, was first held in 1976 and from the 1990s took place in the heart of the city at the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium.
D.J. Forbes, a former New Zealand sevens captain, said that the Hong Kong sevens “has always been the world cup of the game.”
Men’s and women’s teams from around the globe are to compete, led by Olympic champions France, New Zealand and sevens powerhouses Fiji, who regard Hong Kong as their home tournament and have lifted the cup a record 19 times.
The HK$30 billion (US$3.86 billion) Kai Tak Sports Park officially opened on March 1 in a neighborhood that was once the site of Hong Kong’s airport.
The airport was sited in a dense urban development at the edge of Victoria Harbour and was a famously challenging landing spot for pilots.
In a nod to the area’s former life and as part of the celebrations, a Cathay Pacific jet is to perform a flypast on Sunday.
The waterfront stadium is eye-catching, boasting a purplish facade dubbed “Pearl of the Orient” and a retractable roof.
The stadium has what organizers call one of the longest bars in Asia — good news for the many spectators who will be there more for the event’s legendary partying and live music than the sport.
The sprawling complex also features a 10,000-seat indoor sports arena, a 5,000-seat public sports ground and three shopping malls.
