Hong Kong’s men’s handball team fought valiantly in front of a roaring home crowd at Kai Tak Arena on Monday but came up short 25-33 against Beijing in the 15th National Games bronze-medal match, finishing fourth without a podium spot.
The two sides had met earlier in group play, where Beijing dominated 35-19, yet Monday's rematch started far tighter.
Fueled by relentless local cheers, Hong Kong repeatedly breached the defense and briefly nosed ahead in the opening minutes.
Beijing answered with lightning counterattacks, seizing control late in the first half, while Hong Kong kept the gap manageable at 15-11 going into the break.
The hosts struck first after halftime to trim the deficit to three, but Beijing surged with a string of unanswered goals, stretching the margin to double digits.
Undaunted, Hong Kong shifted tactics and rattled off four straight scores midway through the second period to close to 21-27, igniting fresh hope inside the arena.
The rally stalled there, however, as Beijing steadied and pulled away for the eight-point victory.
Hong Kong's men's handball team ultimately lost 25-33 to Beijing in the bronze-medal match, but despite the loss, finishing fourth marks the best result in the sport's history for the city.
