Government requires overseas contingent details for safety measures before cycling Nations Cup can get green light
- The Cycling Association is aiming to stage the showpiece in May but need to provide more details on the visiting riders and officials
- Organisers have set a deadline next month when they will decide to either stage the event under a ‘safety bubble’ or cancel it altogether
Organisers of the inaugural track cycling Nations Cup have been asked by the government to provide more information on overseas riders and officials if they want to stage the event under a “safety bubble” amid the pandemic.
The Hong Kong Cycling Association has been selected by the world federation to stage the new competition which features three series, with the city aiming to host the second leg at Tseung Kwan O velodrome on May 13-16. If given the green light by the government, the world-class competition would become one of the biggest international sporting events in Hong Kong since the start of Covid-19 outbreak last year. And it will be an opportunity for Hong Kong’s top rider Sarah Lee Wai-sze and her fellow national team members to rub shoulders with the world’s best ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.
“We want to know more details about these overseas competitors, how many of them in total, where will they come from and what kind of quarantine measures they are expecting,” said Commissioner of Sports Yeung Tak-keung. “If they agree to come to Hong Kong for a 21-day quarantine before taking part in the event, it would be problem solved, but if they want an exemption from the existing quarantine measures under a safety bubble, we will have to study the arrangements carefully with the provision of all the required details before deciding what we can do.”
Yeung said the government was willing to help stage sporting events in Hong Kong. Recently, several domestic events have gone ahead, while in football one of the AFC Cup group stages that features two overseas teams will also take place in Hong Kong in May.
“We understand the Cycling Association is working hard on gathering all the information as it also requires the support of the world governing body,” said Yeung. “But the Nations Cup is a big event involving many overseas riders and it may take some time for the association to collect all details for us to evaluate.”
