Kevin O’Brien, the man who holds the record for the fastest World Cup century, against England at this year’s tournament in India, will lead a powerful Ireland team for the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC)next month.

O’Brien, who stunned England with a blistering century off just 50 balls which resulted in Ireland successfully chasing down a total of 328, will captain a team that includes five of his World Cup teammates as the leading international cricket associate member makes its debut in Hong Kong.

O’Brien’s older brother Niall will keep wicket, while opening batsman Paul Stirling is another who looks perfectly suited to Sixes, having smashed an explosive century off just 72 balls which guided Ireland to victory over the Netherlands at the World Cup.

Left-arm spinner George Dockrell is also included, along with Alex Cusack and John Mooney, with the only uncapped player being Max Sorensen.

It’s a perfect platform for us to get a look at Max, and see how he makes the step up,” said Ireland’s West Indian coach Phil Simmons. “From what I’ve seen, he’s exactly the type of cricketer I’m looking for. He can bowl quick, hits the ball far and is an exceptional fielder who is supremely fit.”

Ireland has been drawn alongside defending champions Australia, England and Bangladesh at the October 28-30 Hong Kong Sixes. After the heroics at the World Cup, opponents will ignore Ireland at their peril.

Fans are looking forward to another exciting Hong Kong Cricket Sixes (Pic: Chingwai Li/Sixes FaceBook Group)

First-ever T20

In addition to playing in the tournament, one player from the Ireland side will be invited to face the Hong Kong Cricket All Stars in a nine-aside T20 match on Friday afternoon at 3.00pm. The match will be the first international T20 match ever held in Hong Kong.

“This is a very strong side and one which is capable of upsetting anyone on their day. We saw what they did to England at the World Cup and I’m sure none of their pool opponents will take Ireland lightly,” said Shahzada Saleem, president of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA).

Both Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling were amongst the shortlisted players for the ICC Associates and Affiliates 2011 Player of the Year which was ultimately won by Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands, who will figure for the All Stars at the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes.

Ireland and Scotland will make their debut at the highly-anticipated tournament which has been expanded to 12 teams and three days of competition this year.

The shorter format will continue to play a big part of Ireland’s calendar next year, with the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier taking place in the United Arab Emirates in March, with the top two from the 16-team event going on to the finals in Sri Lanka in September.

With a lot at stake, the stage is set for Ireland to make a stunning debut at the Hong Kong Sixes.

Ireland squad:

Kevin O’Brien (Gloucestershire, capt), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), George Dockrell (Somerset), John Mooney (North County), Niall O’Brien (Northants), Max Sorensen (The Hills), Paul Stirling (Middlesex)

With the support of the Hong Kong Tourism Commission’s Mega Events Fund, the Karp Group Cricket Sixes 2011 is set to be the biggest and best clash in the 19-year history of the Tournament. The Hong Kong Sixes has been an official “M Mark” event since 2004.

For all the latest on Rugby Sevens as well as the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes add me @BlitzBokke

Apple Inc has opened its long-awaited first store in Hong Kong, with hundreds of fans of the computer and gadget maker pouring in on the first day.

Some Apple enthusiasts had camped out for nearly two days to secure a place at the head of the line and be among the first to walk through the doors of the new store on Saturday.

The store is located on two floors linked by a glass spiral staircase in Hong Kong’s upscale International Financial Centre Mall, in the city’s central business district.

The Cupertino, California-based company’s products are wildly popular in mainland China.

The Hong Kong store follows the opening of a third Shanghai store on Friday as the company boosts its presence in a key market. It also has two stores in Beijing.

Source:SAPA

Pics: Jason Beerman/CNNGO

Cricket South Africa (CSA) today named the South African squad to take part in the annual Hong Kong Sixes’ tournament.

The tournament takes place at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) in the city’s Jordan district from October 28-30.

“We have followed the standard procedure of getting each franchise to nominate a player so that we do not disadvantage franchises from their domestic competition requirements,” commented CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson.

“This is a very important tournament for players who have been identified as having the potential to represent the Proteas. We always put an emphasis on young talent and we look forward to the performances of the likes of Mangaliso Mosehle, 21, a former SA Under-19 Cricketer of the Year, and Matthew Hulett, 20, this year’s CSA amateur one-day Player of the Year.

“There is also a good balance of experience provided by Lyall Meyer and Dillon du Preez.

“We are confident this squad can bring home some prestigious silverware.”

The South Africans will again be coached by Corrie Van Zyl (pictured below).

Squad:

Richard Cameron (Highveld Lions), Dillon du Preez (Knights), Matthew Hulett (Dolphins), Lyall Meyer (Warriors), Mangaliso Mosehle (Titans), Aubrey Swanepoel (Griquas), Lenert van Wyk (Cape Cobras)

Manager/Coach: Corrie van Zyl

Some images from previous South African teams at the Hong Kong Sixes:

Hong Kong Sixes 2010

Dinner with the SA Association, “Vinnige Fanie” De Villiers and the SA Team:

(Additional reporting by DimSumAndThenSome)

If, like me you’re a moerse Apple-fan, you will be over the moon to hear that it’s only seven slapies till we get our own fully-fledged Apple Store here in Hongkers!

No, in case you were wondering, not one of the many Apple Resellers dotting the SAR landscape… a REAL Apple Store like this one in Beijing:

Next Saturday, September 24th will mark the highly anticipated opening of the Apple Store in ifc Mall.

The 20,000 square foot, 2-story space will be the 1st official Apple store in Hong Kong, and the 5th in China, with stores in Beijing and Shanghai already wowing the mainland with their i-popping design and technical delights.

The ifc Apple Store will give tried-and-true Mac lovers and up and coming Apple aficionados alike the chance to take advantage of Apple’s stellar retail services.

Apple Store Hong Kong

ifc Mall

Central, Hong Kong

http://store.apple.com/hk

The Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) yesterday unveiled the tournament pools and ticketing details of the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes at the tournament venue, the Kowloon Cricket Club.

Organisers also took the opportunity to announce details of some new and exciting innovations for this year’s event, some 59-days away.

Firstly, this year’s tournament will be a 3-day event that kicks off on Friday 28 October concluding on Sunday 30 October.

Secondly, Day 1 will see the staging of the first-ever T20 cricket match in the Hong Kong SAR.  Glyn Davies, Tournament Director announced that the historic match will see a combined All Stars/Team China side take on a side made up of members of the remaining 11 national teams.

One of this writer’s concerns at every tournament has been the many youngsters outside the main entrance to the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) asking for (free/un-used) tickets.  In an attempt to get more spectators into the grounds, organisers have come up with a solution.  With the extension of the tournament into 3 days, they have announced that single-day tickets for Friday 28 October will be sold at HK$100 (adults) and HK$50 (children).  That means that visitors on Day 1 will be treated to two of the most exciting formats of cricket (round 1 of the Sixes and a T20 match) for only $100 ($50).

“Part of our mandate for the tournament is to increase the exposure of the Sixes and introduce new audiences to cricket. We are confident that the special ticket price offer for Friday will assist in attracting new audiences and will create an entertaining opening day for both staunch cricket supporters and general sports fans,” said Dinesh Tandon, Chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association.

Tickets for the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sales will go on sale from today (Friday, September 2, 2011) via the Hong Kong Ticketing website (www.hkticketing.com) and telephone hotlines, the Hong Kong Cricket Association office in Olympic House, Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong Cricket Club and at Jashan and DotCod restaurants in Central.

Adult tickets are priced at HK$800 for a weekend (Saturday and Sunday) package. Weekend ticket packages for children 12 and under on October 28, 2011 will be HK$380.

See you at the Sixes!

(Right to Left) Attending today’s press conference were Mr Glyn Davies, Tournament Director, Mr Dinesh Tandon, Chairman of the HKCA, Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed, President of the HKCA, Mr Jonathan McKinley, Deputy Secretary of the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government and Mr Danny Lai, General Manager of Hong Kong Cricket Association,

Korea captured its third consecutive Shanghai Sevens title after edging Hong Kong 22-17 with a try in sudden-death in today’s Cup final.

Kim Gwong Min scored the winning try to complete a hat-trick in the final and earn the honours as the Most Valuable Player of the Shanghai Sevens 2011.

After a shock loss to unheralded Philippines on day one, Korea righted its ship on day two to book its place in the final for the third consecutive year in Shanghai against Hong Kong, the in-form team of the tournament this weekend.

Speaking after the emotional cup final win, Korea captain Yoon Tae-Il said, “Our performance improved after day one and we had a good review after losing to the Philippines. We were able to come back and defeat China in front of their home crowds and reach the final where we had as good a chance as Hong Kong.

“It is fair to say that Hong Kong was the in-form team of the tournament but we looked across from them in the second half and when we were exhausted we could see they were exhausted too. It gave us the lift to come back.”

Continuing its trend of winning the hard way this weekend, Korea conceded a 10-point lead to Hong Kong in the first half of the final through tries to Keith Robertson and Tom McQueen, another player in the running for MVP honours this weekend.

But Korea struck back quickly in the second half through Kim Gwong Min’s first try from the kick-off. Hong Kong replied through Rowan Varty on his tournament debut as sevens captain further widening the lead to 17-5 after Keith Robertson’s conversion. Under relentless pressure from Korea in the second half, Hong Kong conceded a yellow card for interference on the try line. Korea efficiently utilised the man advantage to put Kim over for his second try closing the gap at 17-10.

Korea continued to exert pressure on Hong Kong in the second half, leading to a try to winger Noh Hoon Jae, levelling the scores at 17-all at the end of regulation time.

Korea’s Kim Gwong Min scores the winning try at the Shanghai Sevens(Pic: Elite Step Asia)

Extra Time

Hong Kong exerted early pressure from the kick-off of extra time but in the second minute of the five-minute golden point extra-time, Korea managed to fly-kick ahead from ruck ball and the rapacious Kim Gwong Min was again in the right place at the right time. Kim outpaced the Hong Kong defence to chase down the ball and cross over for his third try of the match giving Korea the title with a 22-17 win.

The win marked the third consecutive victory for Korea in Shanghai. Korea also enters the history books as the first ever tournament champions on the new HSBC Asian Sevens Series launched this year. It was also the first win for Korea in the Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai, which hosted the event for the first time in 2011.

Heartbreak for Hong Kong

It was heartbreak for Hong Kong after reaching the Shanghai final for the first time in the three-year history of the event. Hong Kong narrowly missed out on its own Cinderella story as they were in position to win the inaugural event of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series in Shanghai just days after announcing that HSBC is the new principle sponsor of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union National Teams.

Hong Kong can take solace in being the team to beat for much of the tournament despite integrating several new and returning players into the core squad for the opening tournament on the 2011 series.

Hong Kong’s run to the final included a convincing 26-nil win over its traditional nemesis Japan in the Cup semi final. Despite the disappointment of the final, the performance will hold Hong Kong in good stead as they prepare to defend their title at next month’s Borneo Sevens, the second ranking event on the HSBC Asian Sevens Series 2011.

Hong Kong National Coach Dai Rees (pictured above) was philosophical about the result saying, “It is disappointing of course to lose in extra time but I am pleased with the way we were able to gel as a team and to reach the final in the first tournament of the season. We will use this loss as motivation as we prepare for Borneo. The good thing is that the new lads fitted into the squad very well and there is now great depth in our squad and some fierce competition for places in Borneo.”

The next event on the HSBC Asian Sevens Series is the Borneo Sevens (September 24-25) in Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia, where Hong Kong are the reigning champions.

A triumphant Korea celebrate their Shanghai Sevens 2011 win (Pic: Elite Step Asia)

The Hong Kong Sevens team has made a confident start to their campaign in the inaugural HSBC Asian Sevens Series.

The tournament kicked-off in the Chinese city of Shanghai today and concludes with the knock-out rounds tomorrow, Sunday 28 August.

Competing in Pool D, Hong Kong saw off the challenge from Malaysia (28 – 7) as well as Mongolia (59 – 0).

The season-opener was not without it’s upset, with the Philippines beating favourites and Asian strongmen Korea 19 – 7.

Hong Kong captain Rowan Varty takes on Mongolia at the Shanghai Sevens. (Pic: Elite Step Asia)

The line-up for tomorrow’s knock-out matches is:

UAE  v Sri Lanka
Bowl Semi Final (BSF1)

Chinese Taipei v Mongolia
Bowl Semi Final (BSF2)

Japan v Malaysia
Quarter Final (QF1)

Hong Kong v Thailand
Quarter Final (QF2)

Philippines  v Kazakhstan
Quarter Final (QF3)

China v Korea
Quarter Final (QF4)

In other news from the Shanghai Sevens, The National reports that it’s not all good for the UAE at the season-opener.

The UAE made the worst possible start in their bid to persuade the International Rugby Board they deserve a place at December’s Dubai Rugby Sevens, after they lost both their matches in the pool stage of the Shanghai Sevens yesterday.

The newly formed UAE sevens side have been told they will have to prove they are worthy of playing in the opening tournament of the HSBC World Series in Dubai later this year.

The team was created after the Arabian Gulf was disbanded at the end of last year, but they did not automatically assume the Gulf’s place in their home competition.

Instead, the IRB will monitor how they fare in the HSBC Asian Sevens Series, with this weekend’s opening leg in Shanghai to be followed by tournaments in Borneo and Thailand.

If the game’s ruling body decide the team from the Emirates are not competitive enough, the Dubai Sevens will be the only leg on the nine-tournament World Series not to have a home representative.

Additional picture in this report: China’s Lu Zhuan on the run in the 26-7 win over Kazakhstan on day one of the Shanghai Sevens, the opening event of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series

(Mike Jansen, 23 June 2011, Hong Kong)

Organisers of the UBS Hong Kong Open scored a massive coup last year when they managed to clinch US Open champion Rory McIlroy‘s signature for two years (starting last year).

At the time the Irishman’s appearance fee was a fraction of what he can demand after winning his first-ever major at The Congressional this past weekend.  Reports are that McIlroy can now bank on an appearance fee of at least US$1 million.

McIlroy (pictured by Getty Images below) has played the UBS Hong Kong Open on 3 ocassions, but has not won in the Territory yet.  His closest shot at the title came in 2008 when he was involved in a dramatic tie with eventual winner, Taiwan’s Lin Wen Tang. (Watch the YouTube video below)

I was fortunate to share some time with the youngster at the Happy Valley Race Course ahead of the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open.  On the night, McIlroy tried his hand at the (horse) races and, while it’s not known whether he won anything, he did have a great time in the City.  Last year there were no minders, bodyguards or other appendages super stars come with these days. It will be interesting to see if anything has changed following his first Major win.

The 2008 Hong Kong Open

Molinari, McIlroy and Lin play-off. I haven’t been to too many big tournaments, let alone a 3-way play-off, but I am happy to say that I was standing right behind Lin Wen Tang when he played THAT amazing shot (2:15 into the video clip)!  The best player on the day eventually was crowned UBS Hong Kong Open Champion.

Take a bow Lin Wen Tang. 谢谢 !

Past winners since 2001 are:

2001 Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP)

2002 Fredrik Jacobson (SWE)

2003 Padraig Harrington (IRE)

2004 Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP)

2005 Colin Montgomerie (SCT)

2006 Jose Manuel Lara (ESP)

2007 Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP)

2008 Lin Wen Tang (TPE)

2009 Gregory Bourdy (FR)

2010 Ian Poulter (ENG)

After a rather wet start to the 2011 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Carnival, though we had some sporadic downpours in the morning, Day 2 was blessed with some much-needed sunshine.

I should actually say “is blessed” because as I am typing this, bright sunlight is streaming through my window blinds here in Hung Hom, over-looking the race venue.

I visited the races this morning and took some pics (there’s huge Super 15 rugby on right now so I’m back home tuned in via my computers).

The sunshine, though late into the event, is much needed because the 2011 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Carnival was punted as the kick-off of the Territory’s 2011 Hong Kong Summer Spectacular.  Other events include the Lan Kwai Fong Beer Fest (July) and the Summer Pop – Live in Hong Kong.

The Carnival concludes tomorrow with the awarding of these spectacular trophies:

I made a short video on my way to the Races this morning:

Day 1 of the 2011 Hong Kong Intenational Dragon Boat Races started with the recognizable drumbeats going out over the race-venue just off The Avenue of the Stars.

I took a picture of the boats doing some warm-up runs from my lounge here in Hung Hom.

However, minutes after taking the picture… the heavens opened up.

An hour later and it hasn’t stopped.

According the the Hong Kong Observatory this is what we can expect for the weekend.

Hopefully we will have some racing over the weekend.

The race venue at 10:30am