Chinese Recreation Club aces holiday charity drive at 73rd tennis open
- The Tai Hang club donated nearly HK$40,000 to charity partners Lok Sin Tong and Operation Santa Claus, organised by RTHK and the South China Morning Post
- The tournament, which saw 23-year-old Jack Wong take the men’s title home, offered up HK$250 for each ace during its main draw matches
After six weeks of fierce competition in which 1,814 entrants traded volleys across more than 1,300 matches, the Chinese Recreation Club Tennis Open 2021 came to an end on Monday, having raised nearly HK$40,000 (US$5,130) for a good cause along the way.
Tennis star Jack Wong Hong-kit, 23, shone brightest on the court, bagging the men’s open singles championship title, then later capturing the men’s doubles title with partner Kevin Wong Chun-hun.
The 73rd edition of the tournament saw the Chinese Recreation Club pledge a donation of HK$250 to its charity partners for every ace hit during a main draw match officiated by a chair umpire.
Operating since 1988, OSC is this year supporting 18 beneficiaries running a range of initiatives for Hong Kong’s underprivileged.
The club’s general committee chairman, Kenneth Lam Sze-ken, said while some of the best players, particularly on the women’s side, were unable to return to Hong Kong this year, the number of entrants was still up 10 per cent from 2020, suggesting a growing enthusiasm for tennis and sports citywide kindled by the Tokyo Olympics.
This is the Chinese Recreation Club’s second collaboration with OSC. According to its Open Tournament Committee chairman, Edmund Ho, the club is keen on cooperating with reputable charitable partners.
“We hope our partnership with OSC will continue for many, many years to come. We are very committed,” Ho said, adding the club was planning to offer tennis workshops to underprivileged children in Hong Kong together with OSC.
“We will keep on our mission to bind people together through sports,” Lam said. He added that by expanding its community outreach, the club hoped to promote sportsmanship and health.
The Chinese Recreation Club had been building a junior programme in Hong Kong to nurture youngsters and cultivate the next generation of tennis players, he added.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the club has opened up its facilities to those who lack venues to play sports, including charities, schools and communities in Tai Hang. It has also been working with its charity partners to donate medical supplies, such as masks, to those in need.
