Hong Kong Couple, 92 and 100, Fight Loneliness With Sport

At 92 and 100 years old, Chow Kam-shim and her husband Lau Moon-wing aren't slowing down. Every morning at their residential home in Hong Kong's Po Lam, they face off against opponents on the boccia court, sending colored leather balls gliding toward their target with remarkable precision.

The couple started learning the sport just five years ago. In 2024, they competed against more than 300 elderly participants and won third place at an annual boccia competition, bringing home a trophy that now sits proudly in their room.

"We play the sport to train our brains, exercise our bodies and stay connected," said Chow, a grandmother of three. Those three goals matter more than many realize.

Elderly loneliness has become as harmful as heavy smoking, according to health experts tracking the growing crisis in Hong Kong. Social isolation among seniors leads to serious physical and mental health consequences, from depression to increased mortality risk.

But the solution isn't complicated or expensive. It looks like boccia tournaments, morning yum cha gatherings with friends, and community activities that give seniors reasons to leave their rooms and connect with others.

NGO Helping Hand has organized activities and competitions that bring together hundreds of elderly participants. These events create regular social touchpoints that combat the isolation many seniors face after losing spouses, becoming less mobile, or moving away from family.

Sunny's Take

What makes Chow and Lau's story so heartwarming isn't just their athletic achievement at ages most of us can't imagine reaching. It's how they've built a life centered on connection and purpose. Their daily routine of competition, friendship, and shared meals shows that staying socially engaged isn't about grand gestures or expensive programs.

Community support and simple activities can transform the experience of aging. When elderly people have regular opportunities to connect, compete, and contribute, loneliness loses its grip. The couple's trophy represents more than athletic skill; it symbolizes what's possible when seniors stay active participants in life rather than passive recipients of care.

Hong Kong faces a rapidly aging population, making solutions to elderly isolation more urgent than ever. But stories like this prove the answer already exists in communities willing to create spaces where seniors can thrive together.

At 100 years old, Lau Moon-wing still aims for the target every morning, his wife by his side, proving that it's never too late to learn something new, make connections, and win.