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Barclays Asia Trophy 2013 @ HK Stadium – 24 July 2013

Amongst local football fans, the highly anticipated Barclays Asia Trophy 2013 – which also marks the the countdown to the start of the new season – kicks-off today with matches between Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland at 6pm and Hong Kong Champions South China v Manchester City. There are limited tickets onsale at the stadium box office.

Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland – Kick-off 6pm
Manchester City v South China – Kick-off 8:30pm

What: Barclays Asia Trophy 2013
When: 24 July, 2013
Where: HK Stadium
How Much: $500, $350, $300, $250, $150

Barclays Asia Trophy 2013 – 24, 27 July, 2013

The provisional squads for the Barclays Asia Trophy have been announced and they’re packed full of talented footballers, household names, new arrivals and new managers – although sadly Spurs new Brazilian signing Paulinho won’t be making the trip. It promises to be a fascinating tournament. Tickets for finals day have sold out, but a few remain for the 24th.

Tottenham Hotspur – Manager: Andre Villas-Boas
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Brad Friedel, Heurelho Gomes.
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, Steven Caulker, Younes Kaboul, Daniel Rose.
Midfielders: Aaron Lennon, Andros Townsend, Gareth Bale, Tom Huddlestone, Mousa Dembele, Sandro Cordeiro, Scott Parker, Jake Livermore, Tom Carroll, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lewis Holtby.
Forwards: Clint Dempsey, Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor.

Manchester City – Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Costel Pantilimon, Richard Wright, Eirik Johansen
Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta, Maicon, Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Matija Nastasic, Dedryck Boyata, Gaël Clichy, Aleksandar Kolarov, Shay Facey
Midfielders: Fernandinho, James Milner, Samir Nasri, Scott Sinclair, Javi García, David Silva, Jack Rodwell, Gareth Barry, Yaya Touré, Abdul Razak, Emyr Huws
Forwards: Denis Suarez, Jesus Navas, Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko, Alex Nimely, John Guidetti, Devante Cole
Manchester City have produced a media guide for fans about the club, players and their summer tour, you can download it here http://www.mcfc.co.uk/cityontour

Sunderland – Manger: Paolo Di Canio
Goalkeepers: Vito Mannone, Jordan Pickford, Kieren Westwood
Defenders: Wes Brown, Carlos Cuellar, Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge, John O’Shea
Midfielders: El-Hadji Ba, Cabral, Jack Colback, Craig Gardner, Adam Johnson, Sebastian Larsson, James McClean, David Moberg Karlsson, Alfred N’Diaye, David Vaughan
Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Danny Graham, Ji Dong-won, Mikael Mandron, Stephane Sessegnon,Connor Wickham

What: Barclays Asia Trophy
When: 24, 27 July, 2013 – Wednesday: 6pm, Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland; 8:30pm, Manchester City v South China; Saturday: 6pm, Third place play-off; 8:30pm, Final
Where: Hong Kong Stadium
How much: Wednesday: $500, $350, $300, $250; Saturday: $600, $450, $400, $300 from www.cityline.com

7Heaven Grand Opening – 12 July 2013

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2013/7Heaven-Grand-Opening-12-July/30505518_NscnqV#!i=2630893275&k=mTBMGm7

Barclays Asia Trophy 2013 @ HK Stadium – 24 & 27 July 2013

Tickets for the tournament featuring Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Sunderland and South China, the 2012/13 champions of the Hong Kong First Division League, go onsale on the 31 May 2013 from Cityline.

Wednesday 24 July 2013
Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland – Kick-off 6pm
Manchester City v South China – Kick-off 8:30pm

Saturday 27 July 2013
3rd v 4th play-off – Kick-off 6pm
Final – Kick-off 8:30pm

What: Barclays Asia Trophy 2013
When: 24, 27 July, 2013
Where: HK Stadium
How Much:
Wednesday 24 July 2013 – $500, $350, $300, $250, $150
Saturday 27 July 2013 – $600, $450, $400, $300, $200
Tickets from www.cityline.com

Hennessy Session: Pet Conspiracy @ Asia One Tower, Chai Wan – 24 May, 2013

Hennessy Sessions: Pet Conspiracy @ Asia One Tower, Chai Wan – 24 May, 2013
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2013/Hennessy-Seesion-Pet/29602638_NPRDvF#!i=2532597580&k=nzZXgCC
click on the photo for more images

International Soccer Sevens 24-26th May 2013

International Soccer Sevens 24-26^th May 2013
While Football Sevens doesn’t roll quite so smoothly off the tongue, the beautiful game has firmly embraced the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens, which returns this weekend to once again display future talent and past greats in another giddy amalgamation of sport and entertainment.
What started as bit of end-of-season fun fourteen years ago has evolved into a fiercely competitive tournament. Stars of the future play in anonymity and stars of the past showcase in person the silky skills admired and cheered from afar.
This year again sees both local and international, UK giants like Manchester City, defending champions Newcastle United and Glasgow Rangers will all be in attendance competing for silverware and a year of solid bragging rights. While local clubs including the HKFA Dragons, Kowloon Cricket Club and a Yau Yee League select will be looking for their moment in the sun with victories against a big name.
Taking place over 3 days, the action is spread between two separate tournaments. The main event sees 16 teams putting forth their best and brightest to fight it out with just enough good nature to keep the event family-friendly (though some obligatory ear-covering may be necessary). While in the Masters section there’s the unique opportunity to see some of the games legends up-close and personal. Still operating with the kind of skill and command of the game that you would expect from past greats such as Teddy Sheringham, Arthur Numan, Jari Litmanen, Darren Anderton, Peter Beardsley, and Aron Vinter, (ignoring the fact that a few shirt sizes may have been upgraded) it’s thrilling and competitive soccer and a true testament to the draw the event has.
If football’s not your thing or the kids need a breather there’s a family fun zone filled with all kinds of games, entertainment and other brightly-coloured whimsy to keep the little ones happy.
The first match kicks off at 7pm on Friday 24^th May, with the final at 7pm Sunday 26^th May

What: Soccer Sevens
When: 24-26 May, 2013 – Friday: 7pm start, Saturday: 9am start, Sunday: 8am start
Where: HK Football Club
How much: Friday: Free, Saturday, Sunday: $160/day, Weekend pass $300
Enquiries: www.hksoccersevens.com

A festive occasion thrice over, the Eighth Day of the Fourth Moon – 17 May 2013

A Festive Occasion Thrice Over, the Eighth Day of the Fourth Moon – 17 May 2013
A festive occasion thrice over, the eighth day of the fourth moon (or month) of the Chinese lunar calendar is the birthday of Tam Kung, an immortal Chinese sea deity, and also commemorated by Buddhists in this part of the world as the birthday of the Buddha. It’s also the climax of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival.

Buddha Bathing Festival
According to Buddhist legend, when the Buddha was born he stood straight, took seven steps, and declared “I alone am the World-Honored One.” And he pointed up with one hand and down with the other, to indicate he would unite heaven and earth. Buddhists are told the seven steps represent seven directions – north, south, east, west, up, down, and here. While Mahayana Buddhists interpret “I alone am the World-Honored One” in a way that “I” represents all sentient beings throughout space and time – everyone, in other words.
Also according to legend, nine dragons sprayed water to bathe the baby Buddha at birth. To commemorate this, at Buddhist temples across Hong Kong, devotees gather to pay their respects to this revered deity by bathing statues of the baby Buddha, with the right hand pointing up and the left hand pointing down, in bowls of water. The ritual is believed to aid in the purification of one’s soul.
Before and after the Birthday of Buddha, celebrants also eat special green cookies, the cookies are deliberately quite bitter, as eating them represents passing through hardship to enjoy better things.

One of the grandest ceremonies is held at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, home of the Big Buddha and you can find out more about Hong Kong’s Buddhist culture via a tour of Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan Lian Garden.

Tam Kung
Tam Kung, is a Taoist sea deity worshipped in Hong Kong and Macau. With a reputation for being able to control and accurately forecast the weather, Tam Kung – usually portrayed as an 80-year-old man with the face of a 12-year-old child because he is believed to have achieved wisdom at a young age and learned the secret of remaining forever young – has a following among seafarers and a temple in his honour in the former fishing village of Shau Kei Wan was built in 1905 and renovated in 2002 with the original design carefully restored. On May 17, head over to the eastern end of Hong Kong Island for the annual Tam Kung procession by local residents, which includes unicorn, lion and dragon dancing.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival 12-18 May 2013

Cheung Chau Bun Festival 12-18 May 2013
Who to believe? Some say the Cheung Chau Bun Festival is held every year to placate the ghosts of the victims of pirates who used the dumbbell-shaped island as their lair, while others maintain it a commemorates the liberation of the island’s residents from a plague some 200 years ago. What pretty much everyone is agreed on, though, is that it’s a time for one big party! Officially the Cheung Chau Bun Festival falls on the fifth to the ninth days of the fourth lunar month – this year’s festivities go from May 12 to 18, with a Chinese Opera performance every night to May 21 at Pak Tai Temple, starting at 7:30pm. But the festival’s undoubted highlight will be a spectacular parade from 2-4pm and a midnight ‘bun snatching’ competition on 17 May centred around the Pak Tai Temple Plaza and adjacent Football Court.

The complete event schedule is as follows:

Date	Time	Activities	Location
12 May	Noon to 6pm	Climbing Carnival • Climbing demonstrations • Game stalls • Variety shows	Soccer Pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground
14 May	10am to 9pm	• Ceremony inviting deities to Pak Tai Temple • Ritual marking start of Bun Festival	Pak Tai Temple Plaza
14 – 21 May	7:30pm to 11pm	• Chinese opera performances	Pak Tai Temple Plaza
16 May	2:30pm to 3:15pm 3:45pm	• Lion and Unicorn Dances • Ritual and Chinese Acrobatic Performances	Pak Tai Temple Plaza
17 May	10:30am 2pm Midnight	• Unicorn and Kung Fu Performance • Bun Festival Parade • Bun Scrambling Competition*	Pak Tai Temple Plaza
18 May	2pm	• Ceremony to send the deities back to their temples	Pak Tai Temple Plaza