Hong Kong shuttlers advance despite unrest near Paris
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong players delivered notable results at the BWF French Open Super 750 in suburban Paris even as unrest in France continued during the tournament. Men's singles player Ng Ka-long beat world No. 2 and defending champion Anders Antonsen in straight games, while mixed doubles pair Chan Yin-chak and Ng Tsz-yau also progressed to the last 16. Chan said the Hong Kong team had not been heavily affected so far because their hotel and venue were away from central Paris, though players were avoiding unnecessary outings. Other Hong Kong winners included Lee Cheuk-yiu in men's singles and women's doubles pair Yeung Nga-ting and Yeung Pui-lam
Key Points
- Ng Ka-long, ranked world No. 27, defeated Denmark's Anders Antonsen 21-18, 21-19 in 47 minutes in the first round
- Antonsen entered as world No. 2 and defending champion, and Ng said he had to use every weapon to win
- Ng recovered from 10-14 down in the first game and from 9-11 before the interval in the second
- Chan Yin-chak and Ng Tsz-yau beat Taiwan's Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang, ranked No. 11, 21-19, 21-14 in 30 minutes
- Chan said the team was mainly travelling between hotel and arena because they did not dare go around freely
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the results show local players can still compete effectively overseas even when events are held against a difficult security backdrop. The comments from Chan also offer a practical glimpse of how Hong Kong athletes are adjusting their routines abroad to balance performance with personal safety