Tencent-backed Hero Esports leverages AI in bid to become global leader
Hero Esports, a Chinese
esports powerhouse backed by
Tencent Holdings and Saudi Arabian video-gaming giant Savvy Games Group, is betting big on
artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and become a global leader industry, the CEO said in an interview.
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'We are pilot-testing several AI models, including
DeepSeek , in all aspects of the business,' said Danny Tang, co-founder and CEO of Hero Esports.
The company is also adapting a local version of DeepSeek to analyse patents and historical contracts to identify areas that might 'require more attention', she said.
The company's adoption of AI ties into China's efforts to dominate the global video-gaming arena. Over the past couple of decades, the sector has transformed into a cultural and economic juggernaut.
Hero Esports co-founder and CEO Danny Tang. Photo: Handout
Tang said one goal of AI adoption is to free up time for the team of around 1,200 to focus on more creative work. Hero Esports has developed its own AI toolkit to streamline various production workflows such as setting timelines, automating camera work and creating highlight reels.
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RTHK
18 hours ago
- RTHK
Coach Ivankovic fired following World Cup elimination
Coach Ivankovic fired following World Cup elimination Branko Ivankovic was appointed China's coach in February 2024. NurPhoto via AFP Branko Ivankovic has been fired as the national team coach following the squad's elimination from the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup this month, the Chinese Football Association has announced. The 71-year-old Croatian coach was removed from the post as a result of China finishing fifth in Group C of the continent's preliminaries for next year's 48-team finals, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. "The Chinese Football Association expresses gratitude to Mr Branko Ivankovic and his coaching staff for their dedicated efforts during their tenure with the men's national team and their contributions to Chinese football," a CFA statement said on Friday. "We wish Mr. Ivankovic all the best in his future work and life." Ivankovic, who led Iran at the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006, was appointed China's coach in February 2024, replacing Aleksandar Jankovic. He steered the country into the third phase of Asia's World Cup qualifying. His team recovered from a poor start to maintain their hopes of a place at their first World Cup since the nation's debut appearance at the finals in 2002. Wins over Indonesia and Bahrain kept the national team in contention for a berth in the fourth round of qualifying, but losses to Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia were followed by a defeat against Indonesia on June 5 that ended any prospect of progressing. The Chinese association said Dejan Djurdjevic, who led China to the quarter-finals of the Under 20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen in February, will take over on a caretaker basis for next month's East Asian Championship in South Korea. (Reuters)
HKFP
19 hours ago
- HKFP
Diehards: Hong Kong fans who go above and beyond to support the city's football team
Just three minutes before the start of the Hong Kong football team's inaugural match at Kai Tak Stadium on June 10, a 40-metre-long banner featuring a fierce dragon and four Chinese characters – which translated as 'Hong Kong team kick ass' – was unfurled above a sea of red-clad fans in the North Stand. Spread out with the help of spectators, the banner covered around 4,000 seats in the arena that was packed with more than 40,000 fans. The red dragon fixed its gaze on the pitch as the home team posed for a group photo ahead of their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against India. It was the largest tifo – banner held up during a match – ever prepared by local football fans in collaboration with the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA). Kept secret from the players and most spectators, the striking visual display was intended to 'astound' the opponent and boost the morale of the home team, coordinator Ng Cheuk-hang told HKFP. Brazilian-born Stefan Pereira netted a stoppage-time penalty to seal Hong Kong's 1-0 triumph over India. Ng, 30, is a core member of The Power of Hong Kong (TPO), a football fans group founded in 2004 with supporters dedicating themselves to cheering on the Hong Kong team in both local and international matches. So far, the group has travelled to more than 20 countries and regions to show its support. Prior to the stunning success of the red dragon banner, Ng and other devoted fans had organised smaller-scale tifos using coloured placards and small flags. The display at Kai Tak required more complex preparation and coordination, Ng said, with the HKFA stepping in to cover the cost and enlisting another fan group, called Chi Sin Lo, to recruit helpers. As it was their first attempt at showcasing a massive display, Ng said they had to carefully select the fabric to ensure it was not opaque – otherwise, spectators underneath might panic, not knowing what was happening. The idea for the banner was finalised just a few days before the match, leaving them no time to rehearse the unfurling. Instead, they relied on around 40 recruited helpers to think on their feet and respond to any unexpected situations, he said. 'Compared with tifos we've seen elsewhere, what we did was just at a beginner's level,' Ng said in Cantonese. 'But with this experience, maybe we can try something new next time – we can be more creative.' Tifo – derived from the Italian word tifosi, which means fans or supporters – is part of the football culture known as the ultras – the passionate, and sometimes radical, football fans who go to great lengths to support their teams. (The word ultra means 'beyond,' and the term too first originated in Italy.) The spectacular visual display often incorporates cultural elements representing the team, its country, or city. Ng said the dragon design was inspired by the HKFA's logo, while the phrase 'Hong Kong team kick ass' came from a placard held by Hong Kong fans at the old Kai Tak Airport in 1985, when the city's team returned home following a historic victory against China in a World Cup qualifier. It was especially meaningful for local fans to chant and display the phrase at Kai Tak Stadium 40 years later, Ng said. Chester Cheung, one of the founding members of Chi Sin Lo – a Cantonese phrase meaning 'crazy man' – told HKFP that the fervent atmosphere at Kai Tak could hopefully inspire some spectators to become regular supporters of the Hong Kong team. Cheung, 28, began supporting local football in 2015. He said people around him had questioned the quality of Hong Kong football, describing it as 'very amateur' and saying the city's representative team was 'no match' for others in international tournaments. 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He has sought to promote more interaction among stakeholders in the local football scene, such as organising matches for supporters of different Hong Kong Premier League teams. A journalism graduate, Ng also runs a blog called where he documents stories related to the sport and publishes profile interviews with players, coaches, and others involved in the game. Hong Kong football fans should not underestimate the impact they may have on the sport, Ng said. Instead of simply criticising the problems in the city's football development, people should consider how they can get involved and help drive improvements, he added. Before every home match held in Hong Kong, Cheung, Ng, and some key members of the fan clubs arrive at the venue about two hours early to set up decorations and displays. They usually bring a suitcase packed with banners, flags, and loud hailers for chanting slogans. Everything they plan to display must be approved in advance by the HKFA and the venue operator. 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AllAfrica
a day ago
- AllAfrica
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'We also developed the software and algorithms to control the SRMs, and used environmentally friendly rocket fuels.' 'We will continue to take practical actions to realize China's dream of sending people to the moon,' it said. In January 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on the CASIC Fourth Academy and accused it of acting contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests. After testing the escape system, CMSA's next key mission is to launch the Long March 10A rocket in 2026. China launched its uncrewed Chang'e 6 spacecraft to the moon in May last year using the Long March 5 rocket. Long March 5, nicknamed 'Fat Five,' has eight YF-100 rocket engines in four boosters, and two YF-77 engines on its first stage. Total thrust is 10,636 kilonewtons (kN). It can lift 25 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO), 14 tons to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and 8 tons to the Earth-moon-transfer orbit, or trans-lunar injection (TLI) trajectory. Such lifting power is not enough to support China's crewed lunar mission. Long March 10 is an upgraded version of Long March 5. It has 14 YF-100 engines in two boosters and seven more on its first stage. The total thrust is 26,250 kN. It can lift 70 tons to LEO and 27 tons to TLI. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) planned to launch the Long March 10 in 2027. However, it said last November that it would launch the Long March 10A in 2026. The Long March 10A is the Long March 10 without two boosters. It can lift 14 tons, or a spacecraft with up to seven people, to LEO, and can be reused. 'The development of our next-generation crewed Long March 10 rocket is on schedule,' said Wang Yue, a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. 'We have achieved some breakthroughs in developing reusable rockets, and have already started producing the components. According to CNSA's plan, China will launch the Long March 10 thrice between 2027 and 2030. By 2030, the fourth and fifth launches will be a moon lander (Lanyue) and the Mengzhou spacecraft, respectively. None of these rockets will be reused. During the 2030 mission, the spacecraft carrying three astronauts will dock with the lander before landing on the moon. In 2023, CNSA decided to launch the lander and spacecraft separately, as its more powerful Long March 9 rocket will only be available after 2030. Some Chinese commentators said the lunar exploration mission of the Long March 10 will continue to expand after Chinese astronauts' landing on the moon. 'Landing on the moon is only a small part of our country's lunar exploration plan,' a Sichuan-based columnist writes in an article last month. 'We have a much bigger goal – to transform the moon into China's backyard.' 'After our astronauts reach the moon, our people will move and live there sooner or later,' he says. 'We will chat and have entertainment on the moon, treating the place like our backyard.' He says Chinese astronauts will build houses on the moon and frequently travel between the Earth and the moon. He says China will also use its space technology to boost ties with other countries and help send astronauts from different countries to the moon. Ultimately, China will discover how to extract water and make oxygen using resources on the moon. 'Our lunar plan keeps accelerating, while the United States keeps postponing its plan,' he says. 'It is possible that China will beat the US in sending people to the moon in this round of the space race.' On December 19, 1972, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed humans on the moon during the Apollo 17 mission. It plans to revisit the Moon in mid-2027 with the Artemis III mission. Two of four astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, are to land on the Moon's South Pole for a week of scientific exploration. Read: US, China in hot race to put nuclear reactors on the moon
