Jeremy Chan

As Hakuho Sho makes his way through a crowd and into a private room, heads turn as restaurant patrons stare in bewilderment. Dragging his flip-flops, the combination of his size, flowing kimono, topknot and determined face hint at many untold tales of perseverance and triumph. Reporters, photographers and onlookers alike quickly clear a path, and rightfully so. A colossal 340-pound heavyweight from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Sho is in town as one of the star attractions, along with local movie legend Eric Tsang, at the opening of one of Causeway Bay’s newest Japanese restaurants. At the age of 22, Sho achieved the position of yokozuna, the highest possible rank for a sumo wrestler, and has broken records throughout his career. In 2009 he smashed the record for the highest number of sumo victories in a year, winning an incredible 86 out of 90 bouts. In 2010 he maintained that consistency, rewriting the record books yet again. Speaking to us before the restaurant’s opening ceremony, the champ touches briefly upon his short stay in Hong Kong and, in surprisingly gentle and pronounced tones, talks of the secret to his success. When asked about his regular routine, Sho will only reveal: “It is most important to master the basics of sumo first, which is why I still practice the basics each and every morning.” He mentions how he was originally inspired by fellow yokozunas when he starting out. Most of all, however, he was encouraged by his parents to fulfill his potential and become the

A molecular virologist who’s waging war on influenza Throughout history, learned men and women across the world have worked tirelessly to find cures for those diseases which threaten the future of the human race. Some of these scientists change the course of history and others just slip under the radar but, regardless of their fame, without these people who slave away in the lab we could all have been wiped out by now. One of these hardworking scientists on a mission to wipe out disease before it wipes out us is Hongkonger Prof Leo Poon Lit-man. The professor and molecular virologist at the University of Hong Kong specialises in emerging infectious diseases. He’s been working for more than two decades in a bid to battle the ever-spreading, ever-mutating influenza virus which is now particularly pertinent in our city. If the 44-year-old scientist can find a universal vaccine that every human across the world can be given, he may quite literally, save the world. Influenza is a viral infection that’s often called ‘the flu’. But also the term ‘flu’ can be wrongly given to any old common cold. The real influenza virus is more than just a snotty nose or an upset stomach as it causes fever, aching, breathing problems and in extreme circumstances, death. A flu shot as a vaccine is the best way to make sure you don’t get it in the first place but more often than not, these shots are geared towards a specific strain. What Prof Poon is trying to discover is a universal vaccine which wou