Hong Kong jiu-jitsu team going for gold at Asian Championship – with an eye on a place at the Olympic table

Viking Wong and the Hong Kong team after a training session, before they set off for the 2019 Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship in Mongolia. Photo: Nicolas Atkin

Hong Kong’s first male black belt Viking Wong will be leading the charge for his city at the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships in Mongolia next month, with the team heading off this weekend.

Leaders Tesa Ho – Hong Kong’s first female black belt – and North Hui will take charge of the team featuring Wong, Ken Man, Tong Wai-yin, Vincent Sit, Ken To, Leung King-pong and Isabela Li.

“With everyone having a full-time job we hope to lead by example, showing young aspiring local athletes you can have a career and do sport at a high level,” Wong said.

It’s the first time Hong Kong is sending out a female athlete, and Wong anticipates a high chance of all seven members medalling, following a successful training camp at the Hybrid MMA gym in Central.

Viking Wong (front row, third from left) and the Hong Kong team plus other training partners at the Hybrid MMA gym. Photo: Nicolas Atkin

Jiu-jitsu was introduced into the Asian Games last summer, and will feature at the Southeast Asia Games later this year.

Hong Kong did not send a team to Jakarta but Wong hopes success in Mongolia can help put jiu-jitsu on the map in the city.

The poster for the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Mongolia. Viking Wong thinks all seven members of the Hong Kong team can medal. Photo: Handout

“Jiu-jitsu has been gaining massive popularity all around the region recently, and globally,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to help spread this sport in Hong Kong and to set up a structure so we can match with the countries outside, especially around Asia.

“China’s been putting a lot of focus and money into expanding the sport, working closely with the Olympic committee, so we’re always trying our best to match and work with them along the way.

“We’re in a fortunate position to be in a really nice new facility at Hybrid, it’s the best MMA gym and training facility in Hong Kong. It’s been helping us prepare for this competition, and made it a lot easier.”

Viking Wong hopes Hong Kong’s results in Mongolia can help them get a place at the next Asian Games. Photo: Handout

Wong hopes that the team’s results in Mongolia will help qualify them for the next Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022 – but he is aiming for the Olympics.

“If we can also get eventually onto the Olympic Committee here, which is always our goal, then we can push this forward working closely with the judo committee as an elite sport,” he said.

“The A-level Olympic standard sports then get more government funding, and hopefully we could get this off the ground in Hong Kong quite a bit more.”