Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong tennis siblings double up on success and help tournament ace charity efforts
Kevin Wong, 28, also doubled up on titles – coming from behind to claim his first men’s singles crown at the championships after retiring as a professional tennis player with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Ethan Leung Yi-hang.
This year’s 75th edition of the tournament hosted by Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong (CRCHK), which ended last month after six weeks of competition, saw players once again helping to raise money for children with every ace served during main-draw matches officiated by a chair umpire.
The final total of 150 aces raised HK$37,500 (US$4,800) thanks to the club’s promise to donate HK$250 to benefit local underprivileged people for every ace served.
Tournament committee chairman Edmund Ho said that for the fourth year in a row, the club had chosen to share the funds equally between the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon and Operation Santa Claus (OSC).
OSC is an annual fundraising initiative organised jointly by the Post and public broadcaster RTHK.
“The CRC OPEN is more than just a tournament – it’s also a platform for us to show the club’s support for the community,” he said.
The club and OSC would also continue to run community and charity campaigns designed to meet unfilled gaps in social support for the underprivileged, such as tennis workshops for ethnic minority groups, Ho added.
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Club chairman Kenneth Lam Sze-ken said: “We are very happy that the CRC Open continues to attract top local players such as Jack Wong and Cody Wong, who represented [Hong Kong] at the Asian Games, and other elite players from across the region.
“Some of these home-grown players have had long-standing associations with the club, and nothing gives us more pleasure than seeing them maximise their potential and shine on the international tennis stage.”
Lam said the contenders were among more than 1,600 entrants, adding that the enthusiastic response “spoke volumes about the popularity of the CRC Open among elite and social players alike”.
“By bringing the local tennis community together and offering players of varying calibres the opportunity to test and hone their games, the CRC Open plays a key role in promoting the sport’s development, supporting elite sports in general and enhancing athletic professionalism across the city,” he added.
Committee chair Ho said the tournament was known for helping to develop elite young players, since it was the only event among the three major local tournaments sanctioned by the Hong Kong Tennis Association to offer 14 or under junior (14&U) categories.
The club was also increasing its commitment to sustainability by reusing most of the tennis balls left in good condition following the tournament, he added.
Ho said used balls from the matches were also collected as part of an initiative to convert them into alternative fuels that reduced the club’s carbon footprint.
“Recycling tennis balls creates a cleaner and greener Hong Kong, and it makes the game we love even more beautiful,” he said.
Since 1988, OSC has raised HK$369 million to support the Hong Kong community through 338 charitable projects.