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Josh Ball

Several months ago, a group of business leaders in the city floated the idea that Hong Kong might play a key role in bringing the 2036 Olympics to the Greater Bay Area.
At the time it felt more than a little fanciful. The sort of pie in the sky thinking designed to start conversations around improving the city’s sporting infrastructure which, Kai Tak Sports Park aside, is badly in need of rejuvenation, and driving ambition, rather than being a proposal for serious consideration.
How times change. The National Games over the past two weeks have shown it to not only be an idea worthy of further discussion, but one now endorsed by former International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
Bach told the region to “go for it”, suggesting there existed the constituent ingredients sprinkled among co-hosts Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau to not only make a bid worthwhile but realistic.
Even if those were the words of a consummate politician, ones also whispered sweetly into South African ears last year, that does not mean they should be taken lightly.

Certainly the cooperation across the GBA has shown that staging large sporting events is well within the capabilities of all three hosts. In many ways it has been an unqualified success – there remains only the need for less encumbered travel across borders to be addressed for next time.
For Hong Kong there has also been the historic nature of the performances of its athletes to celebrate. The record 19 medals collected in the sea, the pool, on the cycling track, on the road, the piste and the tennis court more than justify the belief that the city’s size should not place a ceiling on any of its sporting targets.
Earlier this year, after a long break and a back injury, there were doubts over whether Siobhan Haughey would even make it to the Games. Her response was two golds and then two bronze, those final medals coming in the space of five unforgettable minutes.
Ceci Lee Sze-wing, meanwhile, has now won more gold, three, at a single National Games than any other city athlete and silver or better at the 2028 LA Olympics wouldn’t just put her in the conversation with Sarah Lee Wai-sze as the city’s best cyclist ever, but in a league of her own.
There are gaps, of course. Significant ones when it comes to track and field and gymnastics, two hugely important Olympic sports that Hong Kong has simply failed to get better at, in the case of the former, for decades.
Development, at least at the top level, appears to be in neither sport’s vocabulary. Fixing that should not be an insurmountable problem given the large sums of money the government hands to the Hong Kong Sports Institute every year – specifically for its Elite Athletes Development Fund – although getting officials there or at the relevant government bodies to accept responsibility for solving it could prove harder.
But solve it they must, because if Hong Kong harbours designs on joining the world’s elite when it comes to hosting events – and there should be no limit to that ambition – then its sport, all of it, has to match that.
Culturally, that may require a shift too, although hopefully parents have seen, and allowed their children to be inspired by, those sons and daughters who were not necessarily academically minded but have shone over the past fortnight.
The opportunity these Games have presented for the GBA cannot be underestimated, even if they should be qualified with a note of caution. Hosting the country’s best in a domestic event is one thing, bringing the world to your doorstep quite another.
Any Olympics is a goal that should be pursued, but maybe an Asian Games first, just to give everyone a bit more time to get up to speed on and off the track.


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2025 National Games

From flights of fancy to reality, National Games paves way for a bright future

Former IOC president Thomas Bach (left) talks to Hong Kong rower Winnie Hung during a chance meeting at the National Games. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong’s cyclist Ceci Lee came away with a record three golds. Photo: Karma Lo

National Games’ new generation of stars set to shine at Asian Games, Olympics and beyond

Cyclist Ceci Lee is Hong Kong’s newest sporting superstar after winning three gold medals at the National Games. Photo: Karma Lo

Ceci Lee, whose next target is the Asian Games, has four National Games golds in all. Photo: Karma Lo

Yu Zidi’s time in her 200m IM win would have won her world championship silver. Photo: Xinhua

Shandong swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo won four individual National Games gold medals. Photo: Xinhua

Ryan Choi will defend his world championship crown on home soil next year. Photo: Elson Li

Jiangsu’s 15-year-old Zou Tianyi (right) lost to Xu Jie of Fujian in the foil individual final. Photo: Xinhua

Xu Zhuoyi (left) won the 110m hurdles in a personal best time. Photo: Xinhua

Sprinter Chen Yujie of Zhejiang after winning the 100m final. Photo: Xinhua

Liao Guifang’s winning total in the 76kg final would have won her Paris Olympics gold. Photo: Xinhua

National Games closing ceremony marks more of a beginning than end for Greater Bay Area

The water stage was a highlight of the closing ceremony in Shenzhen. Photo: Xinhua

Hong Kong’s Ceci Lee (left) alongside Guangdong’s Wang Xinyu (centre) and Macau’s Kuok Kin Hang. Photo: Xinhua

Synchronised swimmers perform during the closing ceremony. Photo: Xinhua

Sport

Hong Kong

Hosting the Olympics is no longer a pipe dream for Hong Kong, now it just needs to get its athletes in line


Hosting the Olympics is no longer a pipe dream for Hong Kong, now it just needs to get its athletes in line.


Hong Kong Sports Institute

IOC (International Olympic Committee)

Siobhan Haughey

Ceci Lee Sze-wing

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion

From flights of fancy to reality, National Games paves way for a bright future

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hosting the Olympics is no longer a pipe dream for Hong Kong, now it just needs to get its athletes in line

Hosting the Olympics is no longer a pipe dream for Hong Kong, now it just needs to get its athletes in line