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☆ Hong Kong officials demand answers for Lionel Messi no-show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —The Hong Kong government’s repeated requests for Lionel Messi to play in a sell-out soccer match went unanswered Sunday, a city official said, as cheers turned to jeers for the Argentine soccer legend. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government, which provided more than $2 million in grants to the match organizer, also said it was “extremely disappointed” the star did not play. Fans make their feelings clear after Lionel Messi's Hong Kong no-show. ‘We do feel a bit scammed’“Messi mania” had captured Hong Kong with Inter Miami’s arrival on Friday as fans swarmed the Major League Soccer team’s hotel. Meanwhile, the stadium reached full capacity during the Inter Miami’s open training session the evening before the match.

Persons: Hong Kong government’s, Lionel Messi, jeers, –, Messi, Ballon, Kevin Yeung, XFEST, Lionel Messi's, Justin Chin, Yeung, “, ” Yeung, Gerardo “ Tata ” Martino, ‘, ’ “ Messi, ”, Ada Kam, Luis Suárez Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong, Inter Miami’s, Hong, Hong Kong XI, Culture, Bloomberg, Getty, Inter, Major League Soccer team’s, CNN, Nigeria Locations: Hong Kong, Hong, Argentine, Lionel Messi's Hong Kong, Miami, Inter Miami’s, Tokyo, China, Argentina, Hangzhou, Ivory Coast, Beijing

☆ Hong Kong government may cut support funding after Messi did not play in friendly match
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, CHINA - FEBRUARY 04: Fans react after not seeing Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi play during the friendly match between Hong Kong Team and Inter Miami CF at Hong Kong Stadium on February 4, 2024 in Hong Kong, China. The Hong Kong government said it may cut funding for a friendly match after soccer legend Lionel Messi did not take the pitch on Sunday. The Miami Herald reported that Messi had an MRI last week ahead of a friendly match in Saudi Arabia. The friendly match had been awarded "M" Mark status which is granted to major sporting events held in the city. Hong Kong said it had awarded the event a matching grant of 15 million Hong Kong dollars ($1.9 million) and a venue grant of HK$1 million.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi Organizations: Inter Miami's Argentine, Hong Kong Team, Inter Miami CF, Hong Kong, Hong, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Argentine, Miami Herald, Florida, China, HK Locations: HONG KONG, CHINA, Hong Kong, China, ., Saudi Arabia

☆ Lionel Messi no-show ignites booing and calls for refunds at Inter Miami match in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —Thousands of soccer fans in Hong Kong were left disappointed when Argentine superstar Lionel Messi failed to take to the field in a friendly match for Inter Miami on Sunday. What started with overwhelming cheers and rapture ended in boos and calls for refunds in the sold-out, 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium. Inter Miami — out to prove a point having gone winless during a worldwide pre-season tour — comfortably defeated a Hong Kong XI 4-1 in an event branded as Tatler XFEST Hong Kong. According to Reuters, tickets went on sale in December and cost between 880 and 4,880 Hong Kong dollars (about $113 and $624). “This whole Messi in Hong Kong thing has been building up for quite some time.

Persons: Lionel Messi, —, Messi, Ballon, Hong, “ Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Louise Delmotte, David Beckham, Messi ”, ”, XFEST, Suárez, “, Gerardo “ Tata ” Martino, Leo, Luis, ” Martino, apologetically, Hong Kong, “ Leo, Suarez, ” Suárez, Martino, Yapp Hung, Yapp, Messi superfan Christer Leung, ” Leung, Lionel, Lam Yik, Reuters “ Messi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Argentine, Inter Miami, Hong Kong Stadium, Inter Miami —, Hong, Reuters, CNN, Miami, Al, MLS, Major League Soccer, Hong Kong XI, fai, Messi, Argentina, ’, Inter, USA, Sports, Ardent, Argentina national, Australia, Nigeria, Vissel Kobe Locations: Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, America, China, Beijing, Argentina, Ivory Coast, Hangzhou, Japan

HONG KONG (AP) — Lionel Messi stayed on the bench for the full 90 minutes on Sunday as Inter Miami defeated a Hong Kong XI 4-1 in the latest stop on the MLS team’s preseason Asian tour. Messi played the final seven minutes of the losing effort but a tight hamstring kept the eight-time Ballon D’or winner on the sidelines in Hong Kong along with Uruguayan forward and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez. The fans who filled the same arena a day earlier at least saw the 2022 World Cup winner in an open training session along with Miami co-owner David Beckham. Robert Taylor opened the scoring for Miami five minutes before the break with a curling shot from the corner of the area. Miami finishes its Asian tour in Japan on Wednesday as it takes on Vissel Kobe.

Persons: — Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabia’s, Messi, Ballon, Luis Suarez, David Beckham, Robert Taylor, Henri Anier, Jorn Andersen, Lawson Sunderland, Miami’s, Leonardo Campana, Ryan Sailor, ___ Organizations: Inter Miami, Hong, MLS, Hong Kong, Miami, Saudi, Uruguayan Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Nassr, Riyadh, Barcelona, Japan, Kobe

☆ Paulissen strikes twice as Lee Man set up Urawa playoff clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Defending champions Urawa Red Diamonds will take on Lee Man in the Asian Champions League playoffs next week after last season's Hong Kong Premier League runners-up cruised to a 5-1 win over Bali United at Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday. Mitchel Paulissen put Lee Man in front after only eight minutes and, while the Indonesians equalised through a Tsui Wang Kit own goal four minutes later, the home side went back in front in the 13th minute with Gil Martins' acute finish. Defender Jose Angel added the fifth four minutes from time with a close range header. Lee Man complete the line-up for the east Asian playoffs, with Vietnam's Haiphong defeating Hong Kong Rangers on Tuesday to set up a meeting with Incheon United from South Korea. (This story has been corrected to rectify the spelling of Mitchel Paulissen in paragraph 2)Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lee, Mitchel Paulissen, Tsui Wang Kit, Gil Martins, Everton Camargo, Jose Angel, Lee Man, Michael Church, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Urawa Red Diamonds, Asian Champions League, Hong Kong Premier League, Bali United, Hong Kong, Wednesday, Everton, Vietnam's Haiphong, Hong Kong Rangers, Incheon United, Zhejiang FC, Port FC, Shanghai Port, Pathum United, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, South Korea, Zhejiang, Thailand, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Masks off, beer poured at Hong Kong Rugby Sevens after COVID restrictions dropped
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The general view of Hong Kong Stadium during the first day of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament in Hong Kong, China November 4, 2022. The Hong Kong leg of British music festival Creamfields is also taking place on April 1-2. The Chinese special administrative region has hosted financial summits in the past two weeks as well as Art Basel Hong Kong, one of Asia's leading contemporary art fairs. Scores of events were cancelled, postponed or taken to other Asian cities such as Singapore, Bangkok and Seoul because of Hong Kong's rigid coronavirus rules. "Over 20% of tickets purchased in the public sale are coming from overseas audiences, signalling Hong Kong’s return is in full swing."

☆ Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is back. Rugby union says demand is high despite Covid measures
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament kicks off Friday for the first time since Covid-19 hit. While the city's pandemic regulations remain strict, Chris Brooke, chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Union, claimed demand to attend the event remains high. Brooke said about 26,500 tickets have been sold and a majority of attendees are likely to be Hong Kong residents. In 2019, overseas visitors accounted for half of attendees and the tournament contributed approximately 400 million Hong Kong dollars ($50 million) to the city's economy, according to Reuters. Instead of the usual 24 teams, only 16 teams will be competing at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens this year.

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