Paradorn Srichaphan and Peng Shuai to Help Sports Charity in Hong Kong

Two Asian tennis legends, Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan and China’s Peng Shuai, are rallying to support a Hong Kong sports charity, Sports For Hope Foundation (SFHF) this November.

They will join a host of other tennis stars, celebrities and luminaries from the fine arts world involved in the SFHF Fundraising Tennis Challenge at the Hong Kong Sports Institute on 15-16 November 2014.

Supporting the charity’s goal of raising funds for developing sports talent of local youth with financial need, the SFHF Fundraising Tennis Challenge will see French professional player Jérôme Lacorte attempt to set the Guinness World Record (GWR) for most consecutive opponents, tennis singles.

Jérôme will need to play 30 or more single opponents consecutively to set the world record. The attempt is expected to encompass more than 30 matches and over 60 sets played over a continuous 30-hour period.

The SFHF Tennis Challenge is raising funds by offering a once in a lifetime opportunity for local enthusiasts to be part of a team effort to set the world record by playing one of the 30-plus matches in the GWR attempt.

“The Foundation was established in 2011 and has met with strong public support in the past few years. Our initial charity drive raised HK$8 million, which we used to create several programmes to benefit around 3,000 local students, young athletes and retired athlete coaches,” said Ms. Marie-Christine Lee, founder of Sports For Hope Foundation. “The Foundation funded programmes have had immense impact on the lives of promising youngsters in Hong Kong and we are excited to announce our second major fundraising activity to sustain the existing programmes and for further expansion.”

The two Asian tennis stars, Paradorn and Peng, have committed to supporting the Foundation and its fundraising initiative. They will play singles with top donors on-event while Jérôme’s GWR attempt is ongoing. Paradorn’s brother Thanakorn, a former Thailand Davis Cup representative, will also take part alongside leading Hong Kong players Zhang Ling, Philip King and David Sofaer.

Paradorn, one of Thailand’s most famous athletes, is a former ATP top 10 ranked player who reached his highest world ranking at 9th overall in 2003 after reaching the fourth rounds of the US Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

Peng Shuai is the winner of the 2013 Wimbledon Championship Doubles and 2014 French Open Doubles titles. She also reached her first Grand Slam Singles semi-final in the US Open last week.

In cooperation with the Hong Kong Tennis Association, professional coaches and junior elite players will be on hand at the Hong Kong Sports Institute to conduct various tennis programmes, including private lessons, skill demonstrations, tennis clinics and mini-tennis sessions for children over the event weekend. A mixed doubles tournament will also be organised with 32 local tennis club teams taking part to help raise more funds for the Foundation.

A fun-filled carnival will also be hosted at the Institute with exciting game booths, food and beverage stalls throughout both days for the enjoyment of the families, spectators and local community to take part.

“I am excited about watching Jérôme undertake this challenge and very glad to be a part of this meaningful event, which will not only benefit the Foundation but raise awareness of tennis in Hong Kong,” said top ranked local women’s player Zhang Ling. “I would like to call upon the local tennis community for their support and ask them to bring along their friends and relatives to come to the Hong Kong Sports Institute to witness this great initiative.”

The event at the Hong Kong Sports Institute is free to attend.

“We are honoured to invite Paradorn and Thanakorn Srichaphan, Peng Shuai, Zhang Ling and several leading Hong Kong players to join us in November. Their participation will be one of the main attractions of our fundraising campaign and will definitely help raise awareness of our Foundation,” said Marie-Christine Lee.