The Yau Tsim Mong District celebrated National Day on the 27th with a badminton and table tennis invitation tournament held at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre. Organizers staged the event alongside the Yau Tsim Mong District Office and various community groups to rally support for Hong Kong athletes bound for the Asian Games.
Official Remarks on Youth and Community Development
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak attended the tournament and noted that Hong Kong can use its position as an international city to connect the nation with the global stage. Aligned with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan for youth development, Mak stated that the government aims to cultivate a new generation of patriotic, positive-thinking youth through the Youth Development Blueprint.
Yau Tsim Mong District Celebrations Committee Chairwoman Chan Lai-fong explained that the committee consistently organizes festive events to foster community inclusion. Building on the success of last year’s “Welcome National Games” invitation tournaments, this year’s competition unites residents in support of Hong Kong’s elite athletes while celebrating the national holiday.
Elite Athletes Open the Competition
Organizers invited several prominent Hong Kong sports figures to launch the event with exhibition matches. The guest lineup featured world number four men’s singles badminton player Hu Yun, world number eight women’s singles player Yip Pui Yin, Tokyo Olympian table tennis player Ho Kwan Kit, and Tokyo Olympics women’s team bronze medalist Lee Ho Ching.
Legislative Council member Chan Hoi-yan highlighted the community-building impact of the tournament. She praised government efforts to professionalize and commercialize sports while fostering a culture of active living across the district.
Tournament Results Across Divisions
The event featured separate brackets for badminton and table tennis contested by local groups, government offices, and area committees. In the badminton tournament, the Yau Tsim Mong District Leisure Services Office captured the championship, while the Yau Tsim Mong District Office finished as runner-up. The Mong Kok District Cultural, Recreational and Sports Association and the Yau Ma Tei Residents Association tied for third place.
In the table tennis competition, the Mong Kok District Cultural, Recreational and Sports Association claimed the title. The Yau Tsim Mong District School Heads Association took second place, with the Yau Tsim Mong District Fight Crime Committee and the Yau Tsim District Recreation and Sports Association sharing third place.
Participating Community Groups
Numerous regional bodies supported the matches at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre, including the Yau Tsim District Recreation and Sports Association, the Mong Kok District Cultural, Recreational and Sports Association, the Kowloon Federation of Associations Yau Tsim Mong District Committee, and the Yau Tsim Mong Association. Additional participating organizations included the Mong Kok Residents Association, Tsim Sha Tsui Residents Welfare Association, and local fire safety, road safety, and youth committees.
Worth a look
