British Airways Flies Boxing Legend Joe Calzaghe to Hong Kong

Joe Calzaghe, the undefeated and the longest-reigning super-middleweight world champion in boxing history, visited Hong Kong as British Airways’ guest to attend a charitable gala hosted by St. David’s Society of Hong Kong.

During his whirlwind visit to Hong Kong, the former professional boxer from Wales shared some of his travel rituals, the love of his home country and his passion for sport.

Calzaghe loves Wales and he said it’s a wonderful place with great people. Although he said people would have bigger odds running into him in Cardiff these days and occasionally in London, he also mentioned that he often spends time in Pembrokeshire and Tenby. He encouraged travellers from Hong Kong to go visit these places.

Speaking of flying and travel, Calzaghe had a few rituals to share. The best way to deal with jetlag, according to the former world champion, is to sleep as much as possible on the flight and stay awake for as long as possible at the destinations. He is a big believer for travelling in comfort, so tracksuit is his number one choice of clothing particularly when travelling on long-haul flights. As someone who has trained hard his whole life, Calzaghe said he would like to relax when he goes on holidays, however, he would squeeze in time to exercise from time to time if he could.

Speaking of his passion for sport, the Welshman said dedication is essential. Training hard is a given and to win, one must be prepared to sacrifice everything to make it happen. Calzaghe said back in the time when he was competing, the day before the fight was always the worst, “For me, the weigh in was the hardest part and the fight itself was the easy bit!” he added.

Calzaghe, who turned 46 on 23 March, said there are many places on his wish list to visit including Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

Noella Ferns, British Airways’ executive vice president, Greater China and the Philippines, said, “Calzaghe is the epitome of the world of boxing and it has been wonderful to have him here with us in Hong Kong. We always look forward to welcoming him on our flights."

British Airways operates two non-stop daily flights between Hong Kong and London. It is also the only airline to operate the Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft on the route.

See latest HD Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Hong Kong.