HONG KONG, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong and Jiangsu took the men's and women's rugby sevens gold respectively at the 15th National Games on Friday night at Kai Tak Stadium.
The Hong Kong men's team claimed the title with an unbeaten record after defeating Shandong 26-19 in the final.
Fong Kit-fung broke through Shandong's defense to score a try, giving Hong Kong a solid start, and later Liam Herbert and Bryn Phillips added seven more points. Trailing early, Shandong made a series of substitutions to strengthen their offense, cutting the deficit to 12-7 by the end of the first half.
After halftime, Shandong's Ma Haoxiang scored a try and Shan Changshun converted to put the team ahead, but Hong Kong quickly responded with a scoring surge to retake control.
Although Shandong added a late try through Liu Luda, time was running out, and Hong Kong held on for a 26-19 victory.
In the women's final, Jiangsu took the lead through a try by Hu Yu, followed by a successful conversion from Chen Keyi.
In the second half, Jiangsu continued to widen the gap while Shandong attempted to fight back but could not turn the table, with Jiangsu winning 35-12.
Chen Keyi, 30, the oldest player on the Jiangsu side, said the final marked an almost perfect farewell to the National Games.
"I'd give myself a 9.5 out of 10 for the tournament. My form was only average in the first two game days, but my teammates stepped up. I think I performed well in the final," Chen said.
In the bronze medal matches, Beijing beat Jiangsu 24-14 in the men's event, while Sichuan defeated Anhui 5-0 in the women's competition. ■
