A rare moment at the award ceremony! Tomokazu Harimoto was startled and jumped when fireworks went off during the photo session, while Wang Manyu remained calm.

The WTT Hong Kong Finals ended on December 15th Beijing time, bringing joy to some and disappointment to others. Wang Manyu and Tomokazu Harimoto were the top victors, winning the women’s and men’s singles titles and earning $80,000 each. However, during the post-match award ceremony, Harimoto experienced a rare moment—startled by the fireworks during the group photo, he jumped up suddenly, causing quite a humorous scene. In contrast, Wang Manyu stayed composed, leading netizens to wonder if Harimoto had never seen such a championship celebration before.

The Hong Kong Finals have completely wrapped up, with champions from China, Japan, and South Korea taking the three singles titles. In the most important singles events, Wang Manyu successfully defended her women’s singles title by defeating Kuai Man 4-2 in a tough six-game final. Meanwhile, Harimoto took advantage of Wang Chuqin’s withdrawal, facing a relatively evenly matched opponent, Moregard, and won 4-2. This marks Harimoto’s first ever Finals championship after three attempts, finally clinching the title on his fourth Finals appearance!

As is tradition, the men’s and women’s singles champions posed together for a commemorative photo. Wang Manyu, holding her trophy and flowers, took her place first. Harimoto appeared shortly after but forgot to pick up his flowers. When he returned with them and was ready for the photo, the fireworks suddenly went off, covering the area with sparks and startling Harimoto, creating a somewhat awkward moment on stage!

It must be said that Harimoto’s reactions were quite amusing—he clearly seemed unaccustomed to such grand occasions. It’s understandable since this was his first time winning the Finals, whereas Wang Manyu, having won multiple titles before, was naturally very composed. This little incident brought laughter to the audience and lightened the atmosphere!

Judging by Harimoto’s performance this year, he is clearly making steady progress. He has already secured titles at the Yokohama event and the Finals, climbing to fourth in the world rankings. He has become a formidable opponent and one of our strongest rivals for future championships, demanding our full attention!

Written by / Sports Novels