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The following is issued on behalf of the 2009 East Asian Games (HK) Ltd.:
Shrill whistles, go-ahead nods and hand signals got four of the 22 events in the Fifth East Asian Games yesterday (December 2) up and running on the first of 12 days of keen competitions. There were hardly any surprises, except for the Hong Kong men's table tennis team.
With volleyball, basketball and table tennis action dominating three indoor venues, the Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground saw the only football match under floodlights between Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The two, who have already qualified for the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa, had more than a friendly match. At half-time the score was 1-1, but the Japanese put another through before the final whistle.
The busy table-tennis programme at Queen Elizabeth Stadium started with the Chinese Taipei men's team coming out 3-1 losers when facing paddlers from Korea in a Group B match.
In the women's team Group A match, China hardly broke sweat, romping out 3-0 winners against Macau. In the men's Group A contest between the same two teams, it was the same one-sided result.
However, the women's team Group B showdown between Chinese Taipei and Korea proved the most exciting as it turned into a see-saw battle. The first game went to Korea, but the Chinese Taipei girls came out the better with a 3-2 score.
Then there was another one-sided 3-0 display by the China women's team in a Group A encounter with Japan.
But it was the titanic struggle between the Hong Kong men's team and their Group B adversary Korea that left the crowd on the edge of their seats. The Koreans just managed a final score of 3-2 after the five-game struggle.
Volleyball action spiked up the Hong Kong Coliseum arena and the women's team of Guam succumbed 3-0 to a powerful pounding by the Koreans. The scoresheet read 25-8, 25-10 and 25-8.
The second game in the afternoon saw the Japan women team prove too strong for the Chinese Taipei side and coming out 3-0 winners.
There were four basketball matches that saw cross-court thrills and spills between the women's teams of China and Chinese Taipei leading the yesterday's programme in the Western Park sports centre. When the final whistle blew - after a rough and tumble tussle - China managed to hold on to their 69-61 lead.
In the second game – a match-up in Group B between Korea and Japan men's – it was the Japanese team that pulled away with a 74-66 tally.
The women's team from the same two countries took to the court in a later preliminary game with the Japanese coming out comfortably on top 91-60.
The final game of yesterday was another comfortable win for the Hong Kong men's as they beat the Guam team 94-62.
Day Two action today sees continuing battles in the same four sports and the curtains rising on 10 cue sports match-ups at the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre.
Hong Kong's favourite Fu Ka-chun will have Macau's Zhou Zhaoguo as his opponent while Fung Kwok-wai of Hong Kong faces Lin Shu-hing of Chinese Taipei in a men's 15-red snooker singles pre-quarter final match.
Other competitions include the women's nine-ball pool singles.
Ends/Thursday, December 3, 2009
Issued at HKT 00:16
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