Drone sports add to low-altitude buzz

November 16, 2025

Aerial showdown:

Drone soccer is a team-based aerial sport that involves pilots manoeuvring drones encased in spherical shields, with the aim of scoring by flying through the opposition’s goal hoop.

Drone dream:

Drone soccer tournament participant Lawrence Tong hopes the sport helps players improve their communication and problem-solving skills, adding that he hopes to study drone-related subjects in the future.

Close alignment:

The drone soccer tournament held at Cyberport conformed with the competition rules and standards followed by the 15th National Games, which include an aircraft modelling competition as a mass participation event.

Cultivating potential:

DNT FPV Drone Association Hong Kong, China Chairman Sky Yeung says the technology used in drone soccer has practical applications, such as in search and rescue operations, and aims to nurture young talent to support the development of Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy.

Flying start:

Cyberport Management Company Head of Engineering Services Eddie Lok says the drone sports centre has received a keen response in terms of bookings since its launch, and has already accommodated three events.

Download Video| Transcript

Drone soccer competition participant Lawrence Tong (Translation):

I am Lawrence Tong. I am the defence pilot for today’s drone soccer competition.

Voiceover:

You may never have heard of drone soccer, but Secondary Two student Lawrence Tong already has rich experience in the sport, which all centres around a drone encased in a spherical protective shield. 

On this occasion, Lawrence and four teammates competed in a five-a-side drone tournament.

Drone soccer competition participant Lawrence Tong (Translation):

We have three defenders, one wing and one striker. The striker scores by flying through the opponent’s goal hoop, which is suspended in the air. The wing’s role is to collide with and disrupt the opposing defensive drones, clearing a path for the striker. The defenders require even greater co-ordination to protect their own goal.

Voiceover:

Lawrence began learning to programme drones in Primary One. In Primary Four, he was invited by his extracurricular activity teacher to give drone soccer a try.

Over time, he developed a specialised skill set, becoming proficient in everything from drone maintenance to piloting and in-game tactical adaptation.

Drone soccer competition participant Lawrence Tong (Translation):

Playing drone soccer helps improve our hand-eye coordination. As a competitor, I have learnt to build smoother communication with my teammates and to sharpen my problem-solving and observation capabilities.

If I had the chance later on to study subjects related to drone soccer, I would definitely take it. It would be ideal if I could work in this field when I am older.

Voiceover:

The recent tournament drew participants from both secondary and primary schools across Hong Kong, as well as other cities in the Greater Bay Area.

According to the host organisation, everything about the event – from the competition rules and drone specifications to the size of the goal hoop – aligned with the standards followed by the 15th National Games, in which the roster of mass participation events includes an aircraft modelling competition.

The tournament also aimed to give more young people a taste of drone sports, and to build their problem-solving capabilities.

DNT FPV Drone Association Hong Kong, China Chairman Sky Yeung:

For different drones, how to gain the balance, how to have a longer flight time – (these) all are related to aerodynamics and also the drone technology.

So the students need to know how to control the drone manually. They need to modify the drone – for example, like the flight time, battery lifetime, ESC (electronic speed controller), (and) PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative control).

These skills can apply in different scenarios. For example, what we call the pipe inspection, and also drone lifting, and long-range flying. 

We believe that the students will help the economy grow, especially for LAE (Low-altitude Economy) project.

Voiceover:

Hong Kong’s first drone sports centre was launched at Cyberport in October.

Mr Yeung said the drone association will make use of this enclosed and relatively safe environment to conduct drone training and explore real-world applications.

Meanwhile, Cyberport reports that the facility has received a keen response in terms of bookings from drone sports enthusiasts and training providers. 

Cyberport Management Company Head of Engineering Services Eddie Lok:

We have already organised three events. One is the fun day and two training sessions.

We have received a very positive response from the industry that they really want to utilise the Drone Sports Centre to organise different kinds of training and also competitions.
 
So we are pretty sure that in very near future, like in the first quarter of 2026, we will have big events like the drone soccer and drone racing as well.

Voiceover:

Building on the momentum so far, the digital tech hub plans to host cross-boundary matches involving Chinese Mainland teams, and even to bring international tournaments to Hong Kong, helping to raise the global profile of drone sports.

Alongside the Government’s push to develop Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy, drone sports have been gaining in popularity.

Secondary 2 student Lawrence Tong is a devotee of drone soccer who already has rich drone experience under his belt. He recently joined four teammates to compete in a five-a-side drone soccer tournament at Cyberport.

“I enjoy drone soccer because it helps me improve communication and teamwork, as well as my problem-solving and observation skills,” he said.

The team-based aerial sport involves pilots manoeuvring drones encased in spherical shields. Some pilots act as defenders and others as strikers, and the aim is to score by flying through the opponent’s goal hoop, which is suspended in the air.

Lawrence began learning to programme drones in Primary 1, and was introduced to drone soccer by his extracurricular activity teacher in Primary 4. Now captain of his school’s drone club, he is proficient in everything from drone maintenance to piloting and in-game tactical adaptation.

Drone dream
At the tournament, Lawrence analysed the opposing teams before each match and adjusted the drone setups. In between matches, he checked for damage and had to perform quick repairs, such as replacing broken propellers.

He emphasised that teamwork is the key to success in the game, explaining that if a defensive player is knocked out by an opponent, other pilots must quickly shift positions to cover.

Though his team trailed early on in the competition, they eventually found their rhythm and secured fourth place.

Looking ahead, Lawrence said he would like to study drone-related subjects if he gets the chance.

“For now, I will prioritise my studies while continuing to develop my interests. But if I could pursue a career in this field in the future, that would be a dream come true.”

Nurturing talent
The tournament was hosted by the DNT FPV Drone Association Hong Kong, China, and drew participants from both secondary and primary schools across Hong Kong, as well as other cities in the Greater Bay Area.

The association’s chairman Sky Yeung highlighted that everything about the event – from the competition rules and drone specifications to the size of the goal hoop – aligned with the standards followed by the 15th National Games, currently underway in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. For the first time, the roster of mass participation events at the games includes an aircraft modelling competition, featuring drone soccer, drone racing and indoor radio-controlled air combat.

He added that the Cyberport tournament also aimed to give more young people a taste of drone sports and build their problem-solving capabilities.

“For different drones, how to gain the balance, how to have a longer flight time – these all are related to aerodynamics and also the drone technology.

“So the students need to know how to control the drone manually. They need to modify the drone – for example, the flight time, battery lifetime, ESC (electronic speed controller), and PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative control).”

He added that these skills have practical applications beyond the context of sports – from search and rescue operations to cargo lifting and pipe inspections.

Currently, the drone association provides drone-related courses and activities to around 150 local schools.

Mr Yeung believes that Hong Kong youths have immense potential when it comes to innovation and creativity, and that nurturing young drone sports talent can contribute to the city’s low-altitude economy in the future.

Dedicated facility

Drone sports encompasses a wide variety of formats besides soccer – drone racing, for example, involves pilots flying high-speed drones through obstacle courses.

Racing drones, also known as FPV (first-person view) drones, stream live video from an onboard camera to a pilot’s goggles and can reach speeds of up to 300km per hour. Accordingly, they require venues with high safety standards, and – as Mr Yeung explained – until recently this meant participants often had to travel to other cities in the Greater Bay Area in order to train.

That changed, however, with the opening of Hong Kong’s first drone sports centre at Cyberport in October. The drone association now makes use of this enclosed and safe environment to conduct drone training and explore real-world applications.

Cyberport Management Company Head of Engineering Services Eddie Lok reported that the facility has received a keen response in terms of bookings from drone sports enthusiasts and training providers, and has already hosted a fun day in addition to training sessions.

“With drone sports now featured in both the National Games and the World Games, Cyberport plans to host cross-boundary matches involving Chinese Mainland teams, and even bring international tournaments to Hong Kong in order to promote drone sports on a global scale.”

With the construction of Cyberport 5 set to be completed next month, Mr Lok added that Cyberport will continue to support the Government’s development of Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy and invest in facilities based on industry needs.