Hong Kong Squash Open to be held in outdoor court by harbour at West Kowloon Cultural District
- 96 of the world’s best squash players will compete in the seven-day tournament scheduled to begin on November 27
- ‘Squash in outdoor courts is an entirely different experience for both the fans and the players,’ city’s Tong Tsz-wing says
An outdoor court beside the city’s harbour will co-host the Hong Kong Squash Open in four weeks’ time, organisers said, and local players are excited by the prospect.
For the first time, West Kowloon Cultural District will provide a venue for the matches at the Cultural Plaza space outside the Xiqu Centre, in tandem with the tournament’s usual home at the Hong Kong Squash Centre in Central.
Tong Tsz-wing, one of the city’s top women players, said she believed the change of scenery for the annual event’s 35th edition would promote both squash and Hong Kong.
“Squash in outdoor courts is an entirely different experience for both the fans and the players,” she said. “It is appealing to squash lovers as well as passers-by.
“It’s a different test but at the same time an interesting place for the players. Hosting the event in different locations can promote various spots of the city.”
Hong Kong’s top women’s player Tomato Ho Tze-lok, who will play compatriot and Asian Games silver medallist Simmi Chan Sin-yuk in the opening round, remembered the tournament previously being held at the Hollywood Plaza in Diamond Hill.
