Hong Kong’s lacrosse officials remained confident that the sport is still on course to receive elite status through the city’s premier training centre, despite the recent setback at the Asian Lacrosse Games in China last month.

The lacrosse team required two gold medals at the event to seal its status as a Tier B sport under the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) from the start of next year.

The city’s men’s team delivered by beating hosts China 12-9 in Chengdu to clinch gold, however, the women’s team had to settle for silver after losing 11-4 to China.

“It’s not the end of the road yet, obviously,” said Kelvin Mak Ho-chun, an executive at the Hong Kong, China Lacrosse Association. “We still have different routes to achieve our target and become an elite sport by January 2027.

“We didn’t manage enough points [from the women’s senior side] this time, but there are two National Championships, for senior and junior, in June and August. The Elite Vote Support System under the institute required a combined score of two senior and three junior results, so we might get more from our younger teams.”

Mak, the former men’s captain, said the city’s women faced a Chinese team that are improving very fast.