Hong Kong women seal first Netball World Cup return
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s women secured a place at next year’s Netball World Cup by beating Malaysia 51-47 in the Asian Netball Championships semi-final at Kai Tak Arena on Friday . The result sent Hong Kong back to the sport’s biggest tournament for the first time since 2003, and set up a final against Singapore on Saturday with a first Asian title since 1993 at stake .
Key Points
- Team manager Connie Wong said the semi-final was the performance Hong Kong had targeted, praising the players for sticking to the game plan and learning through the week .
- Hong Kong reached the final only two days after suffering a heavy 53-37 defeat to Malaysia, making the turnaround especially striking .
- Wong, who is also president of Netball Hong Kong China, said a run of defensive stops early in the third quarter shifted momentum after Hong Kong trailed by two points at half-time .
- Goal defence Gessy Li Ga-wing said the team had gone through a long preparation and had fixed their eyes on qualifying on home soil .
- Wong said Hong Kong had repeatedly fallen in previous Asian semi-finals, where the long-term target had been to break into the top three .
Why It Matters
The qualification ends a 23-year wait to return to the Netball World Cup and gives Hong Kong a rare chance to compete again on the sport’s biggest stage . Reaching the Asian final on home court also gives the team an immediate shot at a first regional crown in more than three decades .