Party time as raucous Hong Kong Sevens settles into new home

Hong Kong - The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens take place from today in a big test for the shiny new stadium at the heart of a major $3.85 billion sports park in the southern Chinese city.

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Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong's sporting calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium.

They hope to entice major European football teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December saying Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour.

Coldplay will perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong's bid to re-establish the city as a hub for international sports, culture and entertainment.

The biggest event in Sevens, with organisers saying they have sold a record 130,000 tickets for the tournament from today to Sunday, is seen as key to restoring Hong Kong's reputation.

The city's image took a battering after political protests led to Beijing imposing a sweeping national security law.