Hong Kong's very own Santa!

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Joyee Chan
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A local magician won best Santa Claus at this year's Santa Winter Games in Sweden

Joyee Chan |
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A Hong Kong magician was crowned the world’s best Santa Claus at the annual Santa Winter Games held in Sweden on Monday.

Plato Chan, 27, known as Santa Banana, beat 13 rivals from 11 nations at the 10th Santa Winter Games. He has also won Favourite Father Christmas through an online vote.

Contestants competed in five categories: porridge-eating, mechanical bull riding, reindeer racing, dancing and gift stacking.

Chan started training three weeks before he headed for Sweden. He regularly ran 50 laps around a basketball court, did 200 press-ups, learnt Swedish, and practiced his balance on a mechanical cow.

Clever and charming, he won more than the competition, he also won hearts by giving out cards to all the staff, competing Santas and spectators with greetings written in their own languages.

Hong Kong is a city without snow, chimneys or reindeers, yet Hong Kong’s four Santas have bagged medals in the past nine Games, including one gold, one silver and two bronzes.

“Ethnicity, age and figure are not among their judging criteria,” Chan says. “I think anyone can become Father Christmas as long as they are young at heart and bring happiness to people around him.”


You might also like:

- Ho, ho, ho! In November 2012, local magician Ho Wing-leong took part in the Santa Winter Games in Sweden's Gallivare and came second. Ho (what a great name for a santa!) calls himself Rainbow Santa

- Give the gift of giving this Christmas and make the world a better place for those in need. Operation Santa Claus 2013, which supports 18 charities this year, has officially started

- You needn’t decorate Christmas every year with the same stuff. Here are some ideas on how to get creative this year

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