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Mike Chan

A Hong Kong government department has backed down on its decision to deny several of the city’s sports teams the chance to compete at the National Games, and has lowered the bar to allow more to do so.
Several of the city’s national sports associations (NSAs) had voiced concerns about the announcement of selection criteria that excluded their teams from the Games, which Hong Kong will co-host with Guangdong and Macau in November.
The city’s organising committee, under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, was behind the ruling that only sports whose teams finished in the top eight at last year’s Paris Olympics or the Asian Games in 2023 could enter multiple sides in National Games team events.
Asked to comment by the Post, the committee on Thursday acknowledged the NSAs’ concerns, with a spokeswoman saying it would “study the optimisation of the criteria”.

On Friday came a fresh twist, as it emerged that this optimisation was set to allow Hong Kong to send more teams, with the committee reportedly now requiring teams merely to have competed at the last Olympics or Asian Games.
Multiple sources confirmed to the Post the relaxing of the rules, which reportedly was communicated to the NSAs in a verbal message.
The changes will allow the Basketball Association of Hong Kong, China to send five teams – up from three – to the Games in November. The two newly eligible teams are the city’s men’s and women’s senior teams.
The Post understands that the changes came about following discussions between Kenneth Fok Kai-kong and the government after Fok, the lawmaker and vice-president of the city’s Sports Federation & Olympic Committee, received calls from multiple NSAs to intervene.
Fok’s office confirmed that he had become involved to mediate.
Hong Kong’s volleyball players also had their number of teams permitted to compete at the Games doubled to two, although the head of their association declined to address the matter any further.
“The matter is now solved, we can send two teams,” said Wilfred Ng Sau-kei, president of the Volleyball Association of Hong Kong, China. “The matter will be discussed internally and we will announce the decisions at a later date.”
It is also understood that both the volleyball and basketball associations were seeking to have even more teams competing at the Games.
There are six events for regular basketball, excluding 3x3 events: men’s and women’s senior, under-22 and under-18. There are six, too, for volleyball, in the shape of senior, under-20 and under-18 competitions for male and female sides.
The Post has contacted the Football Association of Hong Kong, China for its response to the changes, after its teams were also affected by the initial ruling.


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Hong Kong

A day after organising committee says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’, the rules are relaxed to allow more teams to take part


A day after organising committee says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’, the rules are relaxed to allow more teams to take part.


The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Basketball Association of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong makes U-turn over rule blocking its teams from entering National Games

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A day after organising committee says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’, the rules are relaxed to allow more teams to take part

A day after organising committee says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’, the rules are relaxed to allow more teams to take part