Team Hong Kong finishes 19th in the IQA European Games 2022

As there are no Continental Games in the Asia-Pacific region, the International Quidditch Association (“IQA”) has allowed Hong Kong to participate in the IQA European Games this year. This is Hong Kong’s first appearance in IQA Continental Games and our second appearance in international tournaments. On 23 and 24 July 2022, Team Hong Kong played a total of 7 games and on top of that obtained an automatic win due to our opponent’s forfeiture. We finished 19th out of 20 teams.

The squad

Team Hong Kong has a small squad of 14 players, including CHENG Lik Kan (#6), CHOW Tsun Hin (#10), Charlie CHEANG Chi Long (#12), Justin LANCELOTTE (#17), TO Wing Hei (#19), Nicholas FU Hoi Him (#21), Jasmine POON Sze Chai (#22), Omar HO Ngo Yu (#23), Chris LAU Kwun Shing (#26), Winco LEUNG Wing Yin (#29), Kammy CHUNG Ka Wai (#33), FONG Lap (#44), Timothy LUK Yin Lun (#65), and Fraser POSFORD (#83). 6 of the players only started playing quidditch this year after learning about the opportunity to represent Hong Kong in the tournament.

With the absence of the well-known Hongkongese beater Thomas AU, CHOW Tsun Hin, an experienced quidditch player based in Warsaw, became the captain of the team. Fraser POSFORD and Chris LAU Kwun Shing, who played for Hong Kong in the IQA World Cup 2018, are the Head Coach and Manager respectively.

Day 1: Group Play

Hong Kong was drawn into Group C, with Belgium, Austria, Poland and Slovakia in the same group. In the IQA World Cup 2018, Hong Kong has faced Poland, where we lost by 100* : 30, and Slovakia, with a win of 120* : 50.  

Unfortunately, Hong Kong did not manage to have a win on the first day. The results of the four matches are as follows:

(Goalscorer: Justin LANCELOTTE)

(Goalscorers: Jasmine POON, CHOW Tsun Hin, CHENG Lik Kan)

You can watch the game here: https://youtu.be/bE9BjkKOn5Q?t=8661

(Goalscorer: Justin LANCELOTTE)

Day 2: 1 Match Play-in Phase and Lower Consolidation Group

On Day 2, Hong Kong first faces Scotland in a 1 Match Play-in to determine who will go to the Consolidation Bracket (consisting of teams ranked 9th to 16th) and who will go to the Lower Consolidation Group (consisting of the last four ranked teams). The score was once 30 to 30, but Hong Kong unfortunately lost the match in the end:

(Goalscorers: Justin LANCELOTTE (x2), Jasmine POON, Chris LAU)

You can watch the game here, courtesy to recording by Quadball Scotland: https://youtu.be/GslS4ylS728 and https://youtu.be/52PvqEqfmT4

Hong Kong then went into the Lower Consolidation Group with Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland. Due to the low number of players, Sweden forfeited the game versus Hong Kong and we thus secured our automatic win in the tournament. We nonetheless played a practice match with Sweden, with mercenary players on both sides.

Our game versus Czech Republic is a close one, in which we originally caught the snitch but the catch was ruled no good due to a violation of gender rule. In the end, we lost the game:

(Goalscorers: CHENG Lik Kan (x4), CHOW Tsun Hin, Chris LAU)

By the time we played our last game, we were left with a very exhausted squad with two injured players. The game ended with a lost again.

(Goalscorers: Justin LANCELOTTE, CHENG Lik Kan)

This small and relatively inexperienced squad has made Hong Kong proud by giving everything in all the matches. We hope that Hong Kong will have a better result in the IQA World Cup in 2023 and will be able to attend the Continental Games in Asia in 2024!