Editorial | Hong Kong should build on its Olympics success

The government is right to provide more money and resources to the sports sector and it is crucial that the funding is sustainable for the long term

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Sarah Lee won bronze at both the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:15am, 16 Aug 2021Updated: 8:15am, 16 Aug 2021

Hong Kong has rightly seized the momentum of the Olympics to give sports development another push. Amid calls for more resources and support in the wake of the record six medals won at the Tokyo Games, the authorities, to their credit, are giving the athletes more than just a pat on the back. The raft of initiatives, including a HK$300 million booster fund and the founding of a government working group to enhance the development of sports as an industry, are to be welcomed. We hope this is not simply a wave of euphoria following the city’s unprecedented success in Tokyo. The sector, after all, still has much room for improvement.

The aim to complete a new, 9,000-square-metre facility at the Hong Kong Sports Institute two years ahead of schedule may not benefit the preparations for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. But the HK$990 million project, to be submitted to the legislature for funding before its terms ends in October, will instil confidence in the city’s long-term commitment to elite sports training. Separately, the government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club will each inject HK$150 million into a new fund to boost sports science as well as medical and technical support for athletes competing in key regional and international events in the coming years.

The commissioning of the Kai Tak stadium in 2023 is expected to open up new horizons, not just in engaging more people in sports, but also to better develop sports as an industry. From training athletes, coaches and referees to sports administration, managing facilities and hosting major events, the potential is enormous. A government group will work with the business and sports sectors to assess the manpower demand and development opportunities for sports as a career and an industry.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor dismissed claims that the support was just a fleeting phase. She said the non-recurrent sports expenditure by her administration had reached HK$60 billion. Over the past four years, the Sports Institute’s annual budget also rose by more than 40 per cent to HK$737 million. But evidently, there is more to sports than just money. More sustainable measures are needed to fully maximise the city’s potential in sports development.