China table tennis superstar Wang blasts unruly fans at Asian Cup
World No 1s Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha round on screaming spectators despite easing to three-game victories in Haikou
Chinese table tennis superstars Wang Chuqin laid into unruly fans at the 35th ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup, after they repeatedly disrupted his opponent during a singles match on Wednesday.
Despite world No 1s Wang and compatriot Sun Yingsha picking up straight-game victories to start the new season in Haikou, both expressed unhappiness with supporters who used flashes when taking pictures and screamed while points were being played.
In the first round of the men’s group stage, Wang eased past world No 108 Akash Pal from India, 11-3, 11-9, 11-5.
Hong Kong ready for ‘harsh reality’ of Rugby World Cup, but coach ‘proud’ of progress
Head coach Logan Asplin is under no illusions about the ‘pretty tough’ fixtures that lie ahead in preparation for the 2027 tournament
Hong Kong head coach Logan Asplin is under no illusions as to the “harsh reality” his side will face over the next 18 months as they prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The tournament’s opening game against Australia on October 1, followed by Chile and then the All Blacks two weeks later, will be preceded this year and next by Test matches against higher-ranked opposition in the Nations Cup and as many training games as can be arranged before the main event.
The side’s South American rivals in Pool A of the World Cup, Samoa, Uruguay, Canada, the USA and Tonga all await between now and November, with the potential for clashes against a Japan XV and others also on the horizon.
It is a run of “pretty tough” fixtures, but one Asplin is also “ecstatic and proud” for Hong Kong, who are ranked 23rd in the world, to be playing.
“I remember we played Germany at home on a Tuesday night in November 2023 at So Kon Po [a ground with no seating], and although there’s been some frustrations along the way, there’s been a heck of a lot of progress that’s been made,” Asplin said.
“I think we’re still heading in the right direction and so [I’m] pretty proud of all of us and what we’ve achieved.”
Some 60,000 people will be crammed into Perth Stadium next year for the biggest game Hong Kong have ever played, and Asplin’s task between now and then is not only building a squad capable of stopping the hosts running up a score, but one that can beat Chile the following week in Townsville.
The end of the city’s interest in the HSBC SVNS Series for another year has added Harry Sayers, Jack Coombes, Calum McCullough and Seb Brien to the players the New Zealander can call upon, while Matteo Avitabile is back from his time in Italy.
Avitabile’s return is particularly important given the retirement of fly half Gregor McNeish, and Asplin said he thought the 24-year-old could end up being a “pretty integral” piece of the puzzle.
Other sevens players, such as Max Denmark, Bryn Phillips and James Christie, could yet be added to the mix.
But officials are also keeping an eye on retaining the sevens Asian Games title won in Hangzhou in 2023 and potential Olympic qualification.
“I think from a human standpoint, my view on it is, if players want to try and do both, then we have to provide them, within reason, the opportunity to be able to play both because our player pool is smaller,” Asplin said.
Aside from the 36 players already part of the full-time training squad, the likes of Paul Altier, Nathan de Thierry and Alex Post are based overseas, while overtures are believed to have been made to Exeter Chiefs centre Zack Wimbush and giant Edinburgh lock Rob Carmichael.
While acknowledging there were “pinch points” when it came to some positions, Asplin said he and his coaches, who now include former All Black prop Kane Hames, already had an idea of the composition of the final 33-man squad.
“We’ve got ongoing rankings around our positions, but we’ve looked at how we would select our squad in terms of a split,” Asplin said. “But I’d like to think we’ve left that pretty open for now, for guys to push themselves forward.
“We haven’t shut the door on potential overseas players, but we know the majority of our group will come from our training programme.”
