Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting has been cancelled because of the state funeral for Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Jockey Club said the 10-race card would not go ahead as a mark of respect for Tung, who was also the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Tung’s vigil will be held on Saturday, with a public memorial and funeral set to take place on Sunday.

“In deference to the funeral arrangements for the honourable Tung Chee-hwa, former vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the first chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and as a mark of respect for the occasion, the race meeting originally scheduled for Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse will be cancelled,” the HKJC statement said.

“All off-course betting branches will be closed on September 20.”

While racing is cancelled, other weekend sport is expected to go ahead, with the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, previously confirming a full slate of football matches in the Senior Shield would take place.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the women’s rugby WXV Global Series Challenger, which is scheduled to play its second round at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground on Saturday, told the South China Morning Post at the start of the week that there were no plans to rearrange games.