Hong Kong flag football group target 2028 Olympics after runners-up spot in Thailand
Grass-roots body sets sights on building a team that can qualify to play in Asian, world championship events en route to Los Angeles Games
A grass-roots Hong Kong flag football movement is targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after one of its sides last week finished as runners-up in one of Asia’s top events.
The Hong Kong LionroX reached the final of the Ready for Play Tournament in Chonburi, Thailand on February 9, before being beaten 41-18 by the Kuala Lumpur Panthers.
Flag football is a non-contact version of American football. The tournament did not limit the number of imports a club could have, and the side fielded by the Panthers at the Pattana Sports Resort featured six US national team players.
The Hong Kong, China Gridiron Football Association has now set its sights on building a side that can qualify for Asian and world championship tournaments on its way to the Los Angeles Games. It is not yet officially classed as a Hong Kong national sports association, but it is looking into applying.
“We started our LionroX team last autumn, with a lot of guys who have been putting in work in the gridiron football scene, and this allowed them to go to the international level,” said Vincent Cheung Yin-zi, the side’s quarterback and the association’s registrar.
The association’s Flag Football League comprises the Competitive Division, which has 10 teams of experienced players, and the Coed Division, an eight-team mixed-gender section.
