Over 110,000 fans attended the Hong Kong Sevens event at Kai Tak Stadium over the weekend, while it has been announced today (Monday) that the 50,000-capacity venue will host two high-profile pre-season football matches in the summer.
The three-day Hong Kong Sevens tournament marked the first sporting event at Kai Tak Stadium, which forms part of the wider Kai Tak Sports Park complex. The stadium, which has been designed by Populous, staged an official opening event at the start of the month.
The sevens event previously took place at Hong Kong Stadium. The inaugural edition at Kai Tak Stadium was won by New Zealand (women’s) and Argentina (men’s).
The event attracted local and international spectators, with Kai Tak Sports Park working with the relevant government departments and public transport operators to facilitate smooth transportation before and after matches.
The event ran smoothly, although there were reports of long wait times at food and drinks outlets around the stadium.
John Sharkey, chief executive of Kai Tak Sports Park, said: “The Hong Kong Sevens’ debut at our venue was a resounding success, with generally smooth operations and incredible energy. We’re proud to uphold this iconic event’s legacy while showcasing our world-class facilities. The Park will continue hosting premier sports and entertainment events to strengthen Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s events capital.”
Meanwhile, it has been announced that Kai Tak Stadium will host a pre-season friendly between Liverpool and AC Milan on July 26, followed by a North London derby fixture between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur on July 31.
The Liverpool-AC Milan match will be the first football fixture played at the stadium. The fixture will precede Liverpool’s first summer tour of Japan, details of which will be announced in due course.
Liverpool and AC Milan will compete for the Standard Chartered Trophy. Standard Chartered is a Hong Kong-based bank and serves as Liverpool’s main shirt sponsor.
The Arsenal-Tottenham match will mark the first time the North London derby has taken place outside of the UK.
