KCC PSA Challenge Cup: Tournament Preview

The only event on Tour this week will be the KCC PSA Challenge Cup, which will begin in Hong Kong on Monday, January 16.

A pair of home favourites, in Wong Chi Him and Tang Ming Hong, will be the leading two players in the men’s draw. The former, the top seed, will be looking to secure the KCC Challenge Cup crown for a fourth time, having won the event in three successive years from 2015 to 2017.

They will be joined by Chung Yat Long and Harley Lam among the top eight seeds, with Lam coming into this tournament as the defending champion from December 2021, when he defeated Matthew Lai in the final.

The rest of the top eight seeds will be made up of Kuwaiti Abdullah Almezayen, Egypt’s Abdelaziz Hegazy, Japan’s Tomotaka Endo and Malaysian Wee Ming Hock. The Kuwaiti will be looking to add to the title he won on home soil earlier this season.

Malaysia’s Aira Azman will be the top seed for the women’s competition, with the World No.69 aiming to take the title away from Hong Kong’s Cheng Nga Ching, the No.2 seed. Ching won the title in December 2021, beating Toby Tse in the final. Tse, along with Ching Hei Fung, will be the other two home hopes among the top eight seeds.

Azman will be joined by compatriot Ooi Kah Yan in the top eight seeds, while the Egyptian duo of Nour Ramy and Salma El Aify, along with Japanese junior Akari Midorikawa, will also be seeded for the competition.

The event takes place from Monday, January 16 to Friday, January 20 at the Kowloon Cricket Club in Hong Kong. Follow the PSA Challenger Tour on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates from the event.

Men’s First Round Draw: KCC PSA Challenge Cup
[1] Wong Chi Him (HKG) – [Bye]
Jaejin Yoo (KOR) v [9/16] Hoony Lee (KOR)
[9/16] Andes Ling (HKG) v Pardeep Malik (IND)
[6] Harley Lam (HKG) – [Bye]
[8] Wee Ming Hock (MAS) – [Bye]
[WC] Law Arthur Pak Ki (HKG) v [9/16] Rahul Baitha (IND)
[9/16] Ho Ka Hei (HKG) v Andrik Lim (MAS)
[4] Abdelaziz Hegazy (EGY) – [Bye]
[3] Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) – [Bye]
Anson Wong (HKG) v [9/16] Naoki Hayashi (JPN)
[9/16] Matthew Lai (HKG) v Wilson Chan (HKG)
[5] Chung Yat Long (HKG) – [Bye]
[7] Tomotaka Endo (JPN) – [Bye]
Mohammad Almasoud (KUW) v [9/16] Lam Shing Fung (HKG)
[9/16] Wailok To (HKG) v [WC] Tam Tsz Shing (HKG)
[2] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) – [Bye]

Women’s First Round Draw: KCC PSA Challenge Cup
[1] Aira Azman (MAS) – [Bye]
Dong ju Song (KOR) v [9/16] Liu Kwai Chi (MAC)
[9/16] Yura Choe (KOR) v Mariko Tam (HKG)
[8] Toby Tse (HKG) – [Bye]
[6] Nour Ramy (EGY) – [Bye]
Heng Wai Wong (MAS) v [9/16] Mingyeong Heo (KOR)
[9/16] Ingy Hammouda (EGY) v [WC] Leung Ka Huen (HKG)
[3] Ching Hei Fug (HKG) – [Bye]
[4] Akari Midorikawa (JPN) – [Bye]
[WC] Cheung Tsz Ching (HKG) v [9/16] Leia Lee Zi Fang (SGP)
[9/16] Lam Po Ying (HKG) v [WC] Kwong Ena (HKG)
[7] Salma El Aify (EGY) – [Bye]
[5] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) – [Bye]
Lim Jee Nee (SGP) v [9/16] Wong Po Yui Kirstie (HKG)
[9/16] Wai Sze Wing (HKG) v Wing Hei Jannis Lam (HKG)
[2] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) – [Bye]