History of Hong Kong Softball International Participation

Exactly thirty years after the game of softball was officially established in Hong Kong, softball history was made in February, 1967, when words of promise by former officials of the Hong Kong Softball Association were translated into positive action. Mr. David Roads, President of the HKSA, with the help of those two softball diehards, Messrs. Yeung Kar Sing and O.A. Vas, led a team of woman softballers to the Philippines to participate in the 1^st Women’s Asian Softball Championships held in the Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, from Feb. 4-12, 1967. Mr. O.A. Vas, an official ISF umpire was invited to official at the tournament which was to become the forerunner of subsequent competitions. David Roads led the Hong Kong contingent as Chief Delegate, Yeung Ka Sing as Head Coach and Benny Omar as Manager, and at the historic 1^stAsian Softball Congress held in Empire Hotel, in which Don Porter, Secretary-General of ISF presided, Hong Kong was represented by Messrs. David Roads, Benny Omar and Philip Morais. That the Hong Kong team failed to win a game against topnotch opposition was only incidental, the door had been opened to overseas competition. At that time, there was no financial help from Government, but David Roads, together with the business community, individuals and ball players all rallied to the cause, and thus was the trip made possible.

In 1968, The Philippines again hosted the 1^st Asian Men’s Softball Championships at the Rizal Stadium between Feb. 3-11. As Hong Kong had only just sent a women’s team to the 1^st Women’s Softball Championships, to dispatch a men’s line up to Manila had been described by many as “wishful thinking” and ambitious. Nevertheless, Hong Kong did send a team, overcoming all financial problems and obstacles, and was again led by David Roads as Chief Delegate, Chow Che-Keung ( a well known SCAA official to-day) as Manager and Yeung Kar Sing as Head Coach . Mr. Jack Carvalho did the umpiring. Hong Kong did much better this time, just failing to quality for the finals, having llost to the host country, who finally went on to win the tournament, by a single run in the semi-finals.

The 2^nd Asian Women’s Softball Championships was held from Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 1969 in Taipei’s Municipal Stadium and again Hong Kong sent a team. Once more, we met with tough opposition and our team returned empty-handed, but much richer for the experience gained from exposure to top class competition.

Two years later. from March16-24, 1974, again in Marikina, the Philippines hosted the 2^nd Asian Men/3^rd Women’s Softball Championships. The men’s tem, inspired by Garth Tatterfield’s two back-to b-back no-hit games, against Japan and Indonesia on successive days, almost made it to the finals, but, Japan gained sweet revenge in the semi-finals to rob Hong Kong men of possible glory. The Chief Delegate of the Hong Kong contingent for this tournament was the HKSA President Mr. Solomon Saul. The Asian scene then turned suddenly very quiet because no country wanted to host the Asian tournament. Then another chapter in the history of softball in Hong Kong was written when under the leadership of Mr. Yung Siu Fai and Mr. Chan Kin (then President of the Assn.) the Hong Kong women’s team accepted an invitation in 1979 to take part in a “World Cup in Japan series”hosted by the Japan Softball Association from Nov. 17-25. Participating teams were Canada, U.S.A., New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japn A/Japan B teams.Hong Kong almost upset the Americans in the first game. The Hong Kong women also had their first experience of playing on artificial grass in the indoor Seibu Stadium on the outskirts of Tokyo, when they bowed to Canada. Japan B won the series in a tense final at Korakuen Stadium, Tokyo.