Hado E Blacks beat expectations at Shanghai tournament
For the first time, the Hado World Cup was hosted in China—set against the vibrant, high-energy backdrop of Shanghai. Out of more than 60 nations that play the fast-paced augmented reality sport, only 18 qualified to compete for the coveted world title. Among them was New Zealand’s Hado E Black led by team captain Lavay Arora. In this article Lavay shares his firsthand experience of the tournament and what it meant to represent his country on a global stage.
Lavay: "As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the smell of sizzling street food, narrow alleyways, and rows of local shops."
Hado’s still pretty niche—odds are, most of you haven’t heard of it. The elevator pitch? Think dodgeball, but with Augmented Reality headsets.
Two teams of three go head-to-head for 80 seconds, physically dodging and firing virtual energy balls in a high-speed digital battlefield.
That doesn’t even scratch the surface of the strategy and intensity. But that’s what I was told when I first tried it over two years ago—and now, here I am, just back from representing New Zealand at the World Cup.
Our team landed in Shanghai after what felt like 48 hours of airports, layovers, and broken sleep.
But the second we left the airport, the tiredness vanished. I’ve lived my whole life in New Zealand, so seeing skyscrapers in every direction was wild. Everyone on the team had their faces pressed against the van windows, pointing out every building like excited kids.
That evening, we took a walk to stretch our legs and soak it all in.
We passed restaurants packed with people, bright signs flashing from every direction, and music echoing down the streets.
As night fell, the whole city lit up like an RGB keyboard—over-the-top in the best way.
We ducked into a tiny noodle shop tucked between two storefronts. It was loud, cozy, full of locals, and honestly, the best way to kick off the trip.
The next day, we did a river cruise along the Huangpu. The skyline was stunning—the historic Bund on one side, space-age towers on the other.
From the famous Shanghai Tower we looked down on a world of toy cars and matchbox buildings. A totally different perspective from the river.
Later, we had a tea ceremony near the tower. It was more interesting than I expected. Tiny cups, strange but delicious flavours, and a few teas I couldn’t even pronounce.
We all ordered different ones and passed them around. Sitting outside, sipping tea and listening to Richard (our resident history nerd) talk about Chinese dynasties and wars was unexpectedly one of my favourite moments of the whole trip.
The team take in the sights of the city, both old and new
The day of the tournament, the stadium was packed, cameras everywhere, commentators shouting, giant screens showing every hit and dodge.
It felt surreal stepping onto that stage with the lights beaming down. We placed fourth in our pool—tied with the host country—which was enough to get us into the quarter-finals.
Our opponents? Korea. Easily one of the strongest Hado teams on Earth.
Honestly, it was intimidating. But we didn’t back down. The match was intense. The crowd was roaring. The final score? Korea beat us by just one point. One single point. Nobody expected us to come that close.
After the match, I looked at the team and said, “We almost just beat the best in the world.” And it wasn’t even an exaggeration.
We had already proven we belonged. The E-Blacks weren’t just another team—we were contenders. And we left with respect from players and coaches around the globe.
Lavay: "It felt surreal stepping onto that stage with the lights beaming down."
After the tournament wrapped up, we had one last day to explore.
Quentin, the tournament commentator, took us to Nanjing Road—a massive, bustling shopping district where every second store begged us to come in.
He had to head off early, but we weren’t done. We came up with the idea to go to Tianzifang after spotting it online, and it ended up being one of the best surprises of the trip.
Inside, a shopkeeper showed us a flower tea that bloomed in your cup when hot water was poured on it. It was beautiful—something so simple, yet completely new to me.
Lavay Arora
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the smell of sizzling street food, narrow alleyways, and rows of local shops.
Handmade crafts, quirky souvenirs, and snacks of every kind.
I remember walking past a tea shop and being stopped in my tracks by the smell. Inside, a shopkeeper showed us a flower tea that bloomed in your cup when hot water was poured on it. It was beautiful—something so simple, yet completely new to me.
Lavay describes the trip as an experience he'll carry with him for the rest of his life
We returned to Nanjing Road that night for one last stroll, picked up some souvenirs, and headed to the airport. Tired? Definitely. But buzzing? Absolutely.
Representing Aotearoa in a global sport, making friends from around the world, and experiencing a city as alive as Shanghai—those are things I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
The Foundation's Sports Programme provides New Zealand sportspeople opportunities to grow more knowledgeable, connected and confident with Asia.
