Asia Sports Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 53 Week of 23 February 2026
(1) Hongkonger set for first taste of Major League Soccer after swapping Europe for US
Hong Kong analyst Matthew Mak Pak-hei reunites with coach Henrik Rydstrom at Columbus Crew.
(2) Hong Kong defender Leung reveals ‘biggest disappointment’, shares Lunar New Year Cup joy
Jacky Leung Nok-hang regrets his limited 14 Hong Kong caps as a career low point but prioritises family by joining Shenzhen Juniors near his ill father.
(3) How Chinese artificial intelligence put a new spin on Winter Olympics action
AI innovations at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, powered by Alibaba, introduced orbiting 360-degree replays and real-time analysis to engage viewers.
(4) Japanese snowball fight game of Yukigassen has designs on becoming an Olympic sport
Yukigassen, a competitive snowball fight born in Hokkaido’s Sobetsu 37 years ago, revive tourism after a volcanic eruption
(1) Hongkonger set for first taste of Major League Soccer after swapping Europe for US
(Photo Credit: Columbus Crew)
Matthew Mak Pak-hei, a trailblazing 26-year-old Hongkonger, has reunited with his former boss Henrik Rydstrom at Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew after navigating personal challenges following the coach’s dismissal from Malmo. Rydstrom took over from Wilfried Nancy on New Year’s Eve, bringing Mak along as first-team analyst after the pair’s successful tenure in Sweden, where they secured two league titles and a domestic cup. Mak stayed on at Malmo post-Rydstrom’s exit, grappling with guilt and forced growth as he shouldered more responsibilities like player communication and opposition analysis.
Mak described the period without Rydstrom’s protection as tough, learning that personal connections outweigh tactics in building winning teams. He had to engage directly with players, adapt to new leadership, and prove his value amid non-stop pressure, which ended with a Europa League loss to Porto in December. The break afterward felt like relief, though leaving was bittersweet, and he views the experience as vital for his development, open to future paths independent of Rydstrom.
Now settled in the US, despite never visiting before, Mak is excited to elevate Columbus, the 2023 MLS Cup winners, by refining their pressing game and defensive basics while preserving their attractive style. He balances relocation logistics with optimism, recently signing ex-Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, and faces Portland Timbers first under Phil Neville.
Mak emphasises professionalism and cultural respect to earn team trust, proud to represent Hong Kong talent globally. Despite rapid career ascent from high school struggles, he prioritises family ties, planning a holiday home rather than staying for the World Cup, balancing his football life with personal roots.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344196/hongkonger-set-first-taste-major-league-soccer-after-swapping-europe-us
(2) Hong Kong defender Leung reveals ‘biggest disappointment’, shares Lunar New Year Cup joy
(Photo Credit: HKFA)
Jacky Leung Nok-hang expresses no bitterness toward past Hong Kong coaches despite earning just 14 international caps, which he considers one of his career’s greatest disappointments. The 31-year-old centre-back last played for the national team in November 2023 and missed several call-ups due to family visits, a knee injury that sidelined him from the 2024 Asian Cup, and other scheduling conflicts under former coach Ashley Westwood. He accepts selection decisions without defensiveness, focusing instead on strong performances in training and matches whenever chosen.
Leung recently moved from Chinese Super League side Zhejiang FC, where he played 88 games after a high-profile HK$20 million transfer, to China League One club Shenzhen Juniors to care for his father, who faces serious kidney problems requiring daily attention. Family remains his top priority, even if it means stepping down a division, though he feels accomplished enough in top-flight football and aims to help Shenzhen win promotion. He considered Hong Kong clubs but chose proximity to home over other options.
His football journey includes formative years at England’s Brooke House College Football Academy starting in 2010, a period that forced independence and professionalism under coach John Cross, transforming him from a somewhat disorganised player reliant on his older brother into a self-reliant pro. Leung Kwun-chung, his sibling with 11 caps, played under current interim Hong Kong coach Roberto Losada at Eastern, giving Jacky a familiar connection as he returns for the FWD Chinese New Year Cup against FC Seoul.
(3) How Chinese artificial intelligence put a new spin on Winter Olympics action
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Artificial intelligence technology debuted spectacularly at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, offering viewers groundbreaking visuals such as orbiting 360-degree replays of Ilia Malinin’s quad jumps and stroboscopic motion analysis during live figure skating events. These innovations, powered by Alibaba’s cloud AI systems, allow broadcasters to break down complex athletic movements frame by frame and provide real-time insights into performances. The tools extend beyond entertainment, enabling tailored coverage that tracks individual athletes across disciplines like biathlon, complete with split-screen views and instant data overlays.
Olympic Broadcasting Services CEO Yiannis Exarchos highlighted the need to make niche sports accessible to casual audiences within the Games’ brief window, using AI to engage newcomers alongside dedicated fans. Alibaba’s Qwen AI model powers the first-ever Olympic AI assistant on the Milano Cortina website, delivering immediate, multilingual answers to queries from officials and spectators about schedules, results, and more. As a global Olympic partner, Alibaba leverages the event to demonstrate its technical prowess on an international stage.
Chinese tech giants like Alibaba, ByteDance, Tencent, and Baidu are intensifying AI competition through high-profile Lunar New Year promotions, including billions in incentives, digital red packets, robots, and drones to drive user adoption. Alibaba committed 3 billion yuan via Qwen during the holiday, while rivals ByteDance showcased its Doubao model at the Spring Festival Gala. Analysts note this “red packet war” signals AI’s path to everyday ubiquity, with the first to achieve mass user growth poised for market dominance.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344139/how-chinese-artificial-intelligence-put-new-spin-winter-olympics-action
(4) Japanese snowball fight game of Yukigassen has designs on becoming an Olympic sport
(Photo Credit: AFP)
At the base of an active volcano in Hokkaido’s Sobetsu town, teams compete fiercely a structured snowball fight that originated 37 years ago as a tourism revival strategy after the 1977 Mount Usu eruption devastated local hot spring visitors.
Players must eliminate all seven opponents with machine-made spherical snowballs or capture their flag, requiring strategy and mental toughness beyond physical power, as teams take cover behind shelters during intense three-minute matches.
The sport demands custom helmets, precise snowball moulds, and eight referees to track up to 180 flying snowballs per set, though complex judging remains a barrier to broader adoption and Olympic aspirations.
Organisers have expanded Yukigassen to 13 countries, including Australia, Finland, Scandinavia, Russia, and North America. They are also developing artificial balls for year-round play on beaches or indoors.
