Solomon Grey Reports: LIT Sports Global Aims to Professionalize Hong Kong Sport and Turn Investment Power into Social Impact

In a city long famed for its financial prowess, a quiet transformation is taking place at the crossroads of investment, wellness, and athletic ambition. LIT Sports Global, a new sports investment platform under TGG, a single family office headquartered in Hong Kong with a focus on doing The Greatest Good for all stakeholders, is betting that sport can become the city’s next growth frontier — economically, culturally, and spiritually. 

“Our mission at LIT is to ignite the inner light in every life we touch — through sports,” says Andre Lajeunesse, Managing Director of TGG and spokesman for LIT Sports Global. “Hong Kong has long been celebrated for its financial intelligence. We now want it to be equally known for its resilience, creativity, and performance in sport.”

From Finance to the Playing Field

Lajeunesse has spent more than 35 years in Asia, holding senior roles in global investment banks, including time as a proprietary trader at HSBC. His experience at the highest levels of finance has shaped LIT’s structured and performance-driven approach to sports. 

“Sports and finance draw on the same qualities — discipline, persistence, and focus,” says Lajeunesse. “The difference is that sport rewards the spirit as much as it rewards results. That human return is what drives our vision at LIT.” 

LIT’s First Step: from Cinema to Stadiums 

Before taking to the courts, LIT’s first venture into sport was cultural. Earlier this year, the organisation co-sponsored “Good Game,” a Hong Kong-made film about eSports, written and starred in by Ken Law. The movie celebrates perseverance and the will to win in the face of adversity — mirroring Hong Kong’s own reputation for grit and renewal. 

“Good Game tells a story that every Hongkonger can relate to,” says Barry Lau, a pickleball player and a movie enthusiast. “It’s about competing with heart and refusing to give up. That message underpins everything LIT wants to do across sport.” 

Why Pickleball, and Why Now 

Next, the group is bringing that spirit onto the court through pickleball, a sport combining tennis, badminton, and table tennis that has become a worldwide sensation.  LIT has acquired TLP Pickleball Club of HK, China, the longest established club dedicated to pickleball in the city. The intention is to further enhance and develop TLP into the first professional pickleball team in Hong Kong with professionals participating in competitions globally representing TLP, and shining forth for Hong Kong across the globe.

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reports that there were 13.6 million active pickleball players in the United States in 2023 — a 52 per cent year-on-year increase — making it the fastest-growing sport in America for three consecutive years. Globally, player numbers are expected to exceed 20 million by 2026, with Asia leading the increase, especially in Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and China, where more than 300,000 people already play. 

The worldwide pickleball market, worth about US$1.3 billion in 2024, is forecast to reach US$2.1 billion by 2030, expanding at roughly nine per cent a year. 

“Hong Kong is a perfect environment for pickleball,” says Lajeunesse. “It’s social, space-efficient, low-impact, and gender-inclusive — perfectly suited to an urban community that values health and quality of life. It’s also a natural fit for one of our themes at LIT: wellness and longevity.” 

Learning from Hong Kong’s Sporting Triumphs 

LIT’s vision for pickleball builds on lessons from two of Hong Kong’s biggest recent sports breakthroughs — fencing and rugby. 

Following Cheung Ka-long’s Olympic gold medal in men’s foil in 2020, the number of registered fencers in the city rose from about 4,500 to nearly 8,000 by 2024. Fencing academies expanded by around 40 per cent in four years, and youth enrolments continue to climb. 

The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, meanwhile, remains one of the city’s international calling cards. The event attracts over 30,000 spectators annually, generates between HK$280 and HK$300 million in tourism receipts, and broadcasts to audiences in more than 120 countries. 

“These examples prove that when sport receives dedicated investment and is given the right structure, Hong Kong can perform on the world stage,” says Lajeunesse. “We want to give pickleball that same platform to succeed.” 

Hong Kong and Singapore: a Comparison in Sporting Economics  

Hong Kong today trails Singapore in terms of structured sports investment, but the gap is narrowing. According to data from the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, Singapore’s sports economy contributes about 0.9 to 1.1 per cent of GDP, or roughly S$9 billion each year. Hong Kong’s share is closer to 0.4 per cent, or about HK$15 billion annually. 

Participation levels tell a similar story. About 48 per cent of Hong Kong residents engage in sport or regular physical activity each week, compared with around 64 per cent in Singapore. Yet Hong Kong’s growth rate, particularly among youth, is faster — with participation levels up 12 per cent since 2019. 

“With proper support, integration with education, and capital from private offices, we believe Hong Kong can double its sports GDP contribution to the 0.8–1 per cent range by 2032,” says Lajeunesse. “That would put us on a par with global benchmarks and create significant public value.” 

Sports as a New Form of Investment 

A 2023 Goldman Sachs Global Sports Report valued the sports industry at roughly US$700 billion, about one per cent of world GDP. Private equity and family office investment in sport has increased sixfold since 2018, exceeding US$60 billion globally. Bloomberg Intelligence projects that sports media rights could generate more than US$85 billion annually by 2030. 

“Sports are no longer just entertainment,” Lajeunesse says. “They’re infrastructure, wellness, and media combined — a complete ecosystem. For family offices like TGG, it’s one of the most exciting and meaningful emerging asset classes.” 

Building an Ecosystem for Hong Kong 

LIT intends to establish a Pickleball Performance Academy in Hong Kong by 2026 and form a Greater Bay Area tournament circuit under the LIT Pro brand. 

The organisation projects a local player base of more than 20,000 people by 2027 and an annual market value between HK$150 million and HK$200 million by 2030. In broader terms, LIT expects that Hong Kong’s total sports-related GDP could grow from HK$15 billion to HK$35–40 billion by the early 2030s — comparable to the contribution of the city’s entire film and cultural industries combined. 

Lighting the Way Forward 

“Every city has something that defines its light,” says Lajeunesse. “For decades, Hong Kong’s light came from finance and trade. Today, we want to reignite that same energy through sport.” 

He pauses before adding, “Sport builds teamwork, endurance, and ambition — the same traits that made Hong Kong thrive. If we foster those qualities in our people again, this city’s light will burn even brighter.” 

From financial charts to pickleball courts, LIT Sports Global may be showing that sport itself can become one of Hong Kong’s next engines of pride, wellness, and growth.