Hong Kong bagged its first gold on Wednesday at the 15th National Games.

Sailor Nicholas Halliday finished first on the podium in men's single-handed dinghy ILCA 7 staged in Shanwei in Guangdong.

Halliday topped the podium with a net score of 33 points, exceeding Tang Yuanshuai from Shanxi by seven points.

Jiangsu's Luo Junsuo took bronze.

Chief Executive John Lee, who's in South Korea attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum, said he's delighted with the news.

"This is incredibly encouraging and it makes me very happy that we already won a gold medal at this stage," he told reporters.

Lee also said he expects further success from Hong Kong athletes at the Games.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law congratulated Halliday and the coaching team on the victory, noting that the sailor overcame challenges with his persistence and effort to win the city's first gold medal.

"This is a demonstration of his strength and perseverance. All Hong Kong people, like myself, are proud of his achievement," a statement read.

"This is the first time the NG (National Games) is co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as the first time Hong Kong is hosting this national sports event. Nicholas Halliday's gold medal victory is especially meaningful."

Law added she hopes the Hong Kong team will continue to achieve remarkable results at the Games.

The sailing competitions will last until Thursday.
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Last updated: 2025-10-29 HKT 16:39