Wong's Fairytale Run at the US Open Comes to an End

Wong has proved to himself he can play against top players

Coleman Wong Chak-lam's run at the US Open sadly came to an end today, but not without putting up a fight against world No. 15 Russian Andrey Rublev in a five-set thriller, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre's Grandstand court.

The match, which lasted more than three hours, saw Wong take the first and fourth sets, and serve a total of 25 aces. The 21-year-old is pleased with how he has improved significantly.

Rublev (left) said Wong played with no fear

"I'm getting closer, and I've proved to myself that I can do it," Wong said of wanting to break into the top 100. "I need to keep believing. I can see that I have the potential and I can scare the big guys.

"I believe in myself more now. I was still in Challengers, and now I'm in the US Open third round, almost beating a tough top 20 player, going five sets with them. It means I'm capable of pushing them all the way."

Rublev was gracious towards his Hong Kong opponent, ranked No. 173.

"It was a tough match, he played really well," said Rublev on the court afterwards. "He played aggressively and with no fear, it was tough. I didn't start well, he was all over me and I needed to fight for every ball to turn it around.

"He was fighting until the end in the last game. I'm happy I was able to win and get to the next round."

Indeed. Rublev will be facing Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who stunned world No. 3 Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Wong hopes to break into the top 100 rankings

In the meantime, Wong will return to Hong Kong to play in a Davis Cup match against Uzbekistan next month.

He'll probably have a hero's welcome back and a lot of Hongkongers excited to watch him play. We've got Olympic swimmer Siobhan Haughey, fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long, and now tennis phenom Wong.

Wong has put Hong Kong on the map in tennis and definitely one to watch!

Wind-Swept Parade of HK Athletes

HK fans wave to their Olympic athletes on the parade route

The other day fans got to cheer Hong Kong athletes who competed in the Olympics in Paris in a whirlwind parade across town.

It started at 10.15am in Sha Tin and then they were at the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower by 11am, followed by Central Pier by 11.35 and Tamar Park 10 minutes later.

Fok hastily fixing his hair with a comb

The athletes, accompanied by Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, president of the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee sat on the open top deck of a double-decker bus.

How did they get from Sha Tin to Tsim Sha Tsui so fast?

It was quite the roller coaster ride.

Footage of the top deck shows the bus barreling at full speed along the highway as Fok, sitting in the front row, has his comb-over hair flying all over. It's quite the sight.

Once they arrive, he quickly whips out his comb to comb down his hair. Lucky for him he came prepared!

Of all the Olympic athletes who won medals, the ones from Hong Kong gained the most monetarily.

Kong (front) and Haughey waving flags

Gold medallists were awarded HK$6 million (US$768,000), silver US$384,000, and US$192,000 for bronze. Singapore was close behind with US$745,000 for gold, US$373,000 for silver, and US$186,000 for winning a bronze.

Hong Kong had its best ever Olympics with fencer Cheung Ka-long defending his title with a second gold, and fellow fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai winning gold in the women's epee individual event, and swimmer Siobhan Haughey clinching a bronze in the women's 200-metre freestyle. 

Olympic Medallist's Welcome Home

Cheung shows off gold medal with fellow fencer Cedric Ho

Gold medal fencer Cheung Ka-long returned home to a hero's welcome at Hong Kong International Airport today.

Media waited for him in the arrivals area along with some 100 fans. Some people even tried to get on flights that would arrive around the same time as Cheung in the hopes of meeting their Olympic idol.

The 27-year-old Cheung is the first man in 68 years to win back-to-back gold medals in foil, and has been handsomely rewarded with HK$9 million (US$1.2 million), of which HK$6 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and HK$3 million from Lam Tai Fai College for alumni.

He described winning the two medals as "one of the best moments in [his] life", and said the Hong Kong spirit was instilled in him during training.

"I think our spirit is [to] never give up, to try our best to get everything [and] to give everything on the piste," he said.

"I don't want to have any excuses and waste my efforts from training. I just keep going, keep fighting. This is how it is," he told the crowd.

Cheung's first order of business after arriving home?

Eating some local food.

"I went to Paris some time ago, so I miss Hong Kong food, and any Asian food I can have is great," he said.

Hong Kong's Triple Medal Haul

Cheung is the third man to win gold in men's foil back-to-back

It's only Day 3 of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Hong Kong has done extremely well with two golds and one bronze already.

World number one fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai won the first gold on the first day of the Summer Games in the individual epee and those Hongkongers who stayed up in the wee hours to witness her victory were thrilled to bits.

"I'm really thankful, I'm really grateful," Kong, 30, said. "I'm just so lucky... in fencing anything can happen, and I love all the girls here, and I just can't believe it's me."

Fencer Kong celebrates her first gold in epee

Last time in 2021 during the Tokyo Games, Kong reached the quarterfinals, the first woman fencer from Hong Kong to do so.

This is her third Olympics and Kong beat a French competitor for gold.

"I lost a bit of focus [in the final] from the start and was distracted a bit thinking the home crowd would be really disappointed if I win," Kong said. "It's a dream for me to play at the Grand Palais and I am grateful for the presence of all the fans, even if they might not want me to win.

"There were no spectators in Tokyo after all, and I am touched when the volunteers, knowing that I am playing their home fencer, would still greet and cheer for me beforehand."

Today swimming sensation Siobhan Haughey also excited Hongkongers with a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle, with Australia taking gold and silver. This is Haughey's third Olympic medal, the first Hongkonger to have this many medals.

And she rallied her teammates to keep going.

Swimmer Haughey with her bronze medal today

"Hong Kong is doing really well at these Olympics and this is just the beginning," Haughey said. "We have a long Olympics journey and I am sure other Hong Kong athletes will do well. A lot of us are in top finals or around the top four fighting for medals. I hope we keep the momentum going."

Indeed soon after fencer Cheung Ka-long successfully defended his gold medal in Tokyo with another gold in men's foil. He is the third man to win back-to-back gold medals in men's foil, the last athlete to do this was in 1956.

Cheung says he won the medal for his dad, who was in the stands watching.

"I'm very happy that my dad came to see me and I could give him a birthday present -- his birthday is in July," he said. 

Gold Bauhinia for Chan

Chan was rewarded for "distinguished service" during Covid-19

Former Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee was rewarded for her services -- during the Covid-19 pandemic we should add -- with a Gold Bauhinia star on Saturday.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu presented her with the award for "distinguished service to the Government and the Hong Kong community, particularly during her tenure as the Secretary for Food and Health", the citation says.

However, she made some serious missteps during the pandemic, particularly in the fifth wave in late December 2021, when so many elderly patients contracted Covid-19 in seniors' homes and the images of them lying in gurneys outside hospitals was severely criticised.

Nip was also given a Gold Bauhinia

That's because of a severe rule that all Covid-19 patients had to be hospitalised regardless of their symptoms, thus resulting in a low turnover of hospital beds. 

Also under her leadership Hong Kong had the worst Covid death rate in the world in March 22 of 6,976 when vaccines were available.

In a recent newspaper interview she also admitted more could have been done to vaccinate seniors in care homes by clearing it with doctors without the need of the family's consent. 

When asked with the Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor administration should apologise to the residents and families of those who died of Covid, Chan said it is time for people to move on.

How can she be so heartless?

Now that she has retired from public life she has dropped all concerns -- and responsibilities -- about her previous job.

Haughey won two silvers at the Tokyo Games

It should also be mentioned that former Secretary of the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen was also awarded a Gold Bauhinia for his public service -- but in his citation there was no mention that he was responsible for the vaccine rollout in the city...

Meanwhile Olympic athletes Siobhan Haughey and Cheung Ka-long were handed Silver Bauhinia each for winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Was no one on the Honours List committee informed how tough it is to not only qualify for the Olympics but also compete and win a medal???