Triple Cycle Rides
The Hong Kong Cycling Association is holding three contests in August which should provide a whole lot of thrills for cyclists and spectators alike. On August 12, the Road Cycling Criterium Race Series 4 takes off from Kam Pok Road, Yuen Long, while the Indoor Cycling Championships at the Western Park Sports Center on the same day will see cycle gymnasts outsmarting each other with stunts you could never imagine on two wheelers. And then on August 18, the HK Track Cycling Race is due in HKSI, Shatin – we hear members of the national team might be competing. The races are only open to members of the association so, to be in the thick of the action, visit their website and join up.
What: Cycling Criterium Race-Series 4, Indoor Cycling Championships, Track Cycling Race-Series 8 When: August 12, 18 Where: Kam Pok Road, Yuen Long; Western Park Sports Centre; HKSI, Sha Tin How Much: members only Enquiries: www.cycling.org.hk
Good Luck Beijing 2008
Hong Kong is preparing for one of the spotlight events of China’s 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Olympic equestrian contest is to be held here in a year’s time but the Good Luck Beijing-HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup is an ‘Olympic rehearsal’ this month to test the newly completed venues, their systems and procedures. The Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue will be the place for jumping and dressage while the Beas River Olympic Equestrian Venue contains the cross-country course. The Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue is a 278,000 square meter all-weather sand arena, with an 18,000-spectator capacity. It is a conversion of the Hong Kong Sports Institute and the Sha Tin Racecourse with a main arena, warm-up arena, training arenas, equine clinic, cafe, 1200m-bridle track, turf gallop track and stables for 200 horses all part of the complex. The cross-country venue is another conversion – this time from the Beas River Country Club and adjacent Hong Kong Golf Club. The cross-country track is 10 metres wide and 5.7 km long in a venue that includes warm-up and cool-down areas and a temporary stable block for 80 horses. The 2008 Olympics are of the utmost importance for China, so no doubt preparations will be immaculate. These equestrian events are by invitation only, but they will also be well broadcast.
What: Good Luck Beijing-HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup When: August 11, 6:30am and 9am for dressage; August 12, 8am and 9:30am for cross country; 13 August, 6:50pm and 8:20pm for jumping Where: Jumping and dressage tests – The Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue; cross-country test – The Beas River Olympic Equestrian Venue How Much: By invitation only Enquiries: www.equestrian2007.org
Fists and Feet
Tie karate, kung fu, tae kwon do and kickboxing into one martial art and you get K-1, one of the world’s fastest growing sports with hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe. In August, Hong Kong’s fans, both old and new, will be in for a treat as the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Asia elimination bout is held here to decide who will go on to the K-1 World GP Final Elimination in September in Seoul, and possibly the K-1 World Grand Prix Final in December. There will be 3 Super Fights and one Reserve Fight with many popular battlers such as Badr Hari, Peter Graham, Peter Aerts, Nicholas Pettas, Hong–Man Choi, Gary Goodridge, Elhan Dennis and Dong Wook Kim. As a testament to K-1’s growing popularity, the tickets have been selling fast.
What: FieLDS K-1 World GP 2007 in Hong Kong When: August 5 Where: Asia World-Expo Arena How Much: VIP: $1,200, RS: $800, A: $500, B: $300, C: $180 Enquiries: www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp
Best at the Net
China’s volleyball team, ranked no 3 in the world, will be in action when the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) World Grand Prix plays out its Hong Kong leg from August 10-12. The preliminary rounds of the Grand Prix are played over 65 matches in various countries around the world – the other three teams competing in the Hong Kong leg will arrive from Italy, Poland and the Dominican Republic. Two games are scheduled for each of the three days, the results going towards determining who will be among the six teams competing in Ningbo, China from August 22-26 in the battle to become Grand Prix World Champion.
What: FIVB World Grand Prix 2007 – Hong Kong (Hong Kong Preliminary Leg) When: August 10-12 Where: Hong Kong Coliseum How Much: August 10, 11: $400, $200, $100, $50. August 12: $480, $240, $120, $60 Enquiries: www.vbahk.org.hk
Asian Kicks
This summer many top European soccer teams have toured Asia – and now it is FC Barcelona’s turn. The team will be playing matches in Beijing, Japan and, lastly, Hong Kong. Here Barcelona will play the Mission Hills Invitation Xl for the Mission Hills Cup at the Hong Kong Stadium on August 10 at 8pm. Tickets have been on sale since July 17 but you have to go to the ticketing office at the HK Stadium in person to buy them.
What: The Mission Hills Cup When: 8pm August 10 Where: Hong Kong Stadium How Much: $1,200, $980, $680, $380 Enquiries: www.missionhillscup-ticket.com |
