City tennis chief ‘quietly confident’ Alexandra Eala will play at Hong Kong Open

The Philippines Tennis Association (Philta) has filed a ⁠request with the ⁠WTA on behalf of ⁠Alexandra Eala, requesting an exemption from the mandatory China Open so that the world No 18 can represent her country at the Asian Games. Eala, who has become a fan favourite ‌with wins over some of the biggest names on the circuit including Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, is the highest-ranked player in the women’s singles draw at the Asian Games, which begin on Saturday and conclude on October...

Hong Kong’s decades-old tennis facilities at Victoria Park will be redeveloped, the city’s leader said on Wednesday, a move that could open the way to holding bigger tournaments in the future. Speaking during his annual Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the plan was “to strengthen the promotion of ‘sports and mega-events’.” At the moment, Hong Kong holds the rights to stage a WTA and an ATP tournament, both at the 250 level. The first of those is the Prudential Hong Kong Open...

The MoonPay X Games League will hold its inaugural winter draft this week, ⁠betting that a team-based format and ⁠closer ties with the Olympic movement can build on ⁠strong audience growth for action sports, CEO Jeremy Bloom said. Eileen Gu, the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history with three golds and three silvers, is expected to be selected first overall. The draft follows the debut of the X Games Summer League, which featured teams representing Los Angeles, New York, Sao Paulo...

Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting has been cancelled because of the state funeral for Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. In a brief statement on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Jockey Club said the 10-race card would not go ahead as a mark of respect for Tung, who was also the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Tung’s vigil will be held on Saturday, with a public memorial and funeral set to take place on Sunday. “In deference to the...

Hugh Bowman is weighing up whether to undergo surgery or keep his Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) hopes alive with a short-term solution, after scans revealed the top Australian jockey has a labral tear in his right hip. The 46-year-old faces at least four months out of the saddle if he opts for surgery, but a cortisone injection would only force him out of action for a few weeks. Bowman rode at the season opener at Sha Tin on September 6, guiding Joyful Joy to victory, but was forced out...

Mount Everest, known to all, understood by few – including someone who has been up and down the treacherous peak almost 20 times. More than 7,500 individuals have reached the top of the highest mountain on Earth since it was first conquered by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953, and there have been more than 15,780 successful ascents, with climbers and guides returning for repeated attempts. It has also claimed the lives of at least 346 people, which is the number since records...

Jay Rooney BUNTA BABY - R7 (5) Won three C&D races last term and gets an ideal set-up to swoop late here   Owen Goulding GIANT LEAP - R4 (4) Lurks on a dangerous mark, has a 10lb claimer up and trialled well leading in   Paul Lally LIVE WIRE - R4 (3) Got off the mark to end last season and has trialled well ahead of this run   Phillip Woo DAN ATTACK - R2 (8) Has solid Happy Valley 1,200m form and does go well fresh   Trackwork Spy LIVE WIRE - R4 (3) Game win to break his maiden on final start of...

Phurba Tenjing Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest 18 times over the years but fears he may now be a dying breed, with climate change one day making it unscalable and societal change leaving fewer willing to risk its dangers. The 37-year-old, who runs his own business guiding people up and down Earth’s highest peak, said one of the biggest challenge his industry faced was the fact “the Sherpa community is no longer climbing”. While the veteran guide said he had never been to school, he believed the...

When an 11-year-old Lalremsiami Hmarzote told her parents she wanted to leave home to take ⁠up a place at one of ⁠India’s top hockey academies, she first had to explain ⁠to them what the sport was. Less than a decade later, Lalremsiami would become the first female Olympian and the first Asian Games medallist from the northeastern state of Mizoram. Lalremsiami, who fell in love with the sport playing barefoot on dirt pitches in the Himalayan town of Kolasib, is now India’s offensive linchpin as...

Jay Rooney BUNTA BABY - R7 (5) Won three C&D races last term and gets an ideal set-up to swoop late here   Owen Goulding GIANT LEAP - R4 (4) Lurks on a dangerous mark, has a 10lb claimer up and trialled well leading in   Paul Lally LIVE WIRE - R4 (3) Got off the mark to end last season and has trialled well ahead of this run   Phillip Woo DAN ATTACK - R2 (8) Has solid Happy Valley 1,200m form and does go well fresh   Trackwork Spy LIVE WIRE - R4 (3) Game win to break his maiden on final start of...

The Chinese Badminton Association has announced, just four days before the start of the Asian Games, that men’s doubles player Chen Boyang had withdrawn because of illness, with He Jiting named as his replacement alongside Liu Yi. On Monday, the association revealed that Chen had suffered a sudden illness. Following consultations between national team doctors and specialists from several hospitals, medical experts confirmed his condition would prevent him from competing. “To protect the...

Wednesday’s eight-race card at Happy Valley shapes as another even night of racing at the city circuit, with the Class Two Shek O Handicap (1,650m) the highlight. Jay Rooney is in the hot seat to provide an extended rundown of his selections. Race 1 – Class Five Hoi Mei Handicap (1,000m) Me Tsui Yu-sak produced Lucy In The Sky to win on the seven-day backup at Sha Tin and can do the same with Macanese Master, who drops back to his preferred trip after a solid fourth over 1,200m last week. Race...