Siobhan Haughey and Ryan Choi crowned 'Best of the Best' at Hong Kong's Sports Oscars

Hong Kong's sporting elite gathered at the Convention and Exhibition Centre Tuesday evening for the Cathay 2025 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards, celebrating a year of outstanding athletic achievements.

Fencer Ryan Choi and swimmer Siobhan Haughey were honored with the top accolades, being named the male and female "Best of the Best" at the ceremony, often referred to as Hong Kong's Sports Oscars.

The prestigious event recognized the remarkable efforts of the city's top athletes across various disciplines, presenting awards for individual, team, and combination performances.

Celebrating top athletic combinations

The awards for "Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards for Sports Combination" were presented to three groups: the Men's Foil Team (comprising Edgar Cheung Ka-long, Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Leung Chin-yu, and Lawrence Ng Lok-wang), the Badminton Mixed Doubles pair of Jordan Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet, and the Men's Table Tennis Doubles pair of Wong Chun-ting and Baldwin Chan Ho-wah.

On behalf of his fencing teammates, Ng expressed his joy and gratitude to their coach and his three teammates.

Wong noted that it was the first nomination for him and his much younger partner, Chan, calling them a "new and old combination" that achieved good results last year and will continue to strive for more.

Handball team takes top team honor

The "Hong Kong Sports Stars Award for Team Only Sport" was awarded to the Hong Kong Men's Handball Team. Team captain Freddie Tse Wing-fai thanked the public for their overwhelming support, which placed them first in the public vote.

He shared that while they achieved a historic result at the National Games, they were unable to reach the podium.

He expressed great happiness that they could stand on the awards stage tonight and pledged that the team would continue to work hard for the upcoming Asian Games.

Honoring outstanding male athletes

The ceremony then honored the five "Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards for Men." Fencer Ryan Choi Chun-yin was the first to be named.

He humorously thanked everyone who voted for him and gave a heartfelt shout-out to his parents, affectionately teasing his mother before telling both his parents he loved them.

Swimmer Ian Ho Yentou was the next recipient, reflecting on his journey from arriving in Hong Kong six years ago knowing no one to now being surrounded by friends. He emphasized the team effort behind every athlete's success.

Table tennis veteran Wong Chun-ting received his award, expressing his fortune to have been born in an era where Hong Kong provides a platform for him to develop in his sport.

Tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam, who was not present, accepted his award via a video message, expressing his happiness and encouraging everyone to strive for excellence at the Asian Games.

The final male athlete honored was rower Chiu Hin-chun.

Recognizing inspiring female athletes

For the "Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards for Women," superstar swimmer Siobhan Haughey was the first to be recognized.

She shared a recent moment when another swimmer asked if she still loved swimming, which made her realize how lucky she is to have found her life's passion and to have met so many wonderful people who support her in her "job."

Karateka Grace Lau Mo-sheung was the next recipient. She spoke of her journey since her last in-person appearance at the awards in 2018, when she left disappointed after not winning.

She used that feeling of loss as a powerful motivation, which has now driven her to win the award for the sixth time. Fencer Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, snooker player Ng On-yee, and cyclist Ceci Lee Sze-wing were also honored as outstanding female athletes.

Choi and Haughey named best of the best

The evening culminated with the announcement of the "Best of the Best" awards, with Ryan Choi Chun-yin taking the top honor for the men and Siobhan Haughey being crowned for the women, solidifying their positions as the brightest stars in Hong Kong's athletic firmament for the past year.