- City will be the first in Asia to host the tournament; sport has gained popularity in recent years and will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Scarlett Cowley (left) and Simran Shamdasani will represent Hong Kong in the World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship in August. Photo: Sun YeungAs Hong Kong prepares to host the World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship, the city’s team is working hard in hopes of breaking its own best record in the tournament.
Twenty top teams will compete in the event in August, hosted by the Hong Kong, China Lacrosse Association. The previous host country, Canada, and last year’s champion, the United States, will also participate.
Taking place from August 15 to 24, the championship will run a total of 64 matches in Mong Kok Stadium. This is the first time the tournament is being held in Asia.
The Hong Kong women’s under-20 team ranked 12th out of 22 in the previous competition in 2019, and the head coach aims to take advantage of being on home turf to “beat the ranking” this year.
“I think our home advantage is that we’re very used to the weather. We also have a lot of supporters from the public and their families and friends. So hopefully that will be the biggest motivation for us,” said Gemini Fan, the women’s head coach at Hong Kong, China Lacrosse Association.
“Our [team’s] average age is only 17 … Even if they’re young, they are quite experienced players,” the 39-year-old coach noted.
“We have players who played in Hong Kong for at least six years. And then we also have players who go to school in the UK and [have] played there for quite a few years.”
Originating from indigenous tribes in North America, lacrosse has gained popularity worldwide in recent years and will even be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The sport sees two teams of 10 players on the field; positions include the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and attackers.
Each player uses a crosse, a long-handled stick with a net, to pass and toss a rubber ball to score goals in their opponent’s net.
The Hong Kong team consists of 22 players, including Scarlett Cowley and Simran Shamdasani, representing the city in a world event for the first time.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, the two have played lacrosse for more than six years.
“It always feels quite surreal. I’m very proud to be able to represent Hong Kong in this way,” said Cowley, a 19-year-old architecture student at Cardiff University in the UK.
Twenty-year-old Simran, who is studying law at City University of Hong Kong, said: “When we first joined the team, I was really excited [and I] wanted to be the best version of [myself] in the competition. But now, coming to it, I’m kind of nervous.”
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The team is training six times a week in anticipation of the tournament. “We have been training so hard … I think we’ve got so much potential, but it is definitely going to be a fierce competition,” said Cowley, a defender on the team.
Simran, who plays as an attacker, added, “Lacrosse is a very skilful sport. There’s a lot of technicalities that you need to know … And even the slightest bit of mistake is very obvious.”
Fan, the women’s head coach, noted that the sport carried many benefits for students, such as improving hand-eye coordination and encouraging teamwork. “It is about team effort … Players have to learn how to work together … and how to be the best in their role,” she said.
Over the years, the Association has promoted the sport through education and competitions. It has become a popular extracurricular activity in schools.
“We have grown a lot in the primary and secondary school levels in the past few years,” Fan said.
In addition to the tournament this August, the Association will host the Super Sixes, a faster-paced version of the sport, in December.
“This will be an important game,” Fan said. “Lacrosse will be included in the 2028 Olympics, which will be played in the Sixes format … and we [Hong Kong teams] are fighting for entrance to the Olympic Games.”