Opinion | Hong Kong won’t be Asia’s sports event capital until it upgrades amateurish officials
Handing public money to unbeneficial events and missing opportunities to promote the city, too many seem out of touch with the modern world
In those brief remarks, it was suggested the time had come to improve the standard of officials who head our governing bodies, or organise and finance the sporting events Hong Kong hosts.
It is not unfair to class many of those in well-rewarded positions of power as enthusiastic amateurs. In the 21st century, this is no longer acceptable – and in some instances damages the city’s hard-earned reputation as a place that knows what elite means.
But the organisers, who have previous in failing to provide adequate support for world-class athletes competing in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, once again decided not to provide a translator. So, the likely winner will be unable to tell the media, or anyone even remotely interested at home or abroad, how they feel about the race, or the city.
From a marketing and PR perspective, it is a baffling decision. A silent winner does nothing to promote Hong Kong, and given the race is largely irrelevant outside a small part of China’s Greater Bay Area, any messaging capable of travelling beyond those limits is essential.
