Editorial | Many of Hong Kong’s sports associations need to lift their game

Hong Kong sport is riding the crest of a wave after impressive medal-winning performances in the Summer Olympics, the hosting of elite international events and the impending opening of a flagship stadium. These are exciting times.

But the success brings higher expectations and increased government funding heightens the need to ensure value for money. This requires good governance, accountability, transparency and integrity.

It has long been recognised that there is much room for improvement among the city’s national sports associations. Some of them have been run like private clubs or family businesses. There have also been controversies. Many of them need to raise their game.

The report by the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee, after a three-year corporate governance review of 77 associations, is therefore welcome. A push for higher standards is long overdue.

According to the report, 58 per cent of the organisations, governing a wide variety of sports, either partially or fully met requirements. The federation regarded this as a reasonably good level of corporate governance, while noting the need for improvement.

But the study also showed more than 40 per cent had not even partially implemented items on a checklist for best practice. Areas most in need of improvement are board governance, the selection of athletes and the management of coaches and umpires.