One last hurrah for much-loved stadium
Basketball stars of the 1950s and 1960s gave a special treat to a full house of local fans, old and young, last night with a friendly match to bid farewell to the Macpherson Indoor Stadium in Mong Kok.
Dubbed by some as the 'mecca of Hong Kong basketball players', the venue is to close to make way for redevelopment later this month.
Despite their age, the teams showed the 1,800 fans that it was skills that counted in a basketball game - applause echoed in the stadium as the veterans scored points by jump shots and layups, despite no slam dunks. The match ended 53-52.
A former grade A player and member of the Hong Kong representative team, Leung See-chun, 62, recalled his golden days: 'I could not remember how many matches I had here. I spent almost 90 per cent of my time here and I got to know many of my good friends here too. I will miss it. But the redevelopment is not a bad thing. There will be more modern facilities after the redevelopment.'
Tse Chee-hung, 49, also a former member of the Hong Kong team, said: 'Macpherson stadium was like the mecca of Hong Kong basketball players. It was like Wembley Stadium for football players in England. I hope it can continue to contribute to the development of the sport with the upgraded facilities after redevelopment,' Mr Tse said.
One fan said: 'It was an excellent show. I will certainly miss the place. It is a good rendezvous for sports fans. It may become more modern after redevelopment. But I am not sure if fans can be as close to the players as it is now in the future. It is the closeness that matters, not modernity.'
The Macpherson stadium has been run by the Playground Association since it was completed in 1953. It was one of the most modern sports facilities in the region at the time.
Before the opening of the Coliseum in Hung Hom, the stadium was the major indoor sports facility in Kowloon. It has been extensively used for grade A basketball matches.
The redevelopment project will turn the 26,000 sq ft site on Nelson Street into a residential and commercial project with a gross floor area of 206,000 sq ft. It will include an indoor stadium and a youth centre.
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