Sustaining the promotion of sports development

Hong Kong athletes’ successes at the TOG and TPG are attributed not only to the tremendous efforts made by the sports sector over the years, which include the hard training of athletes, guidance and support from coaches and professional teams; the Government’s policy directives and allocation of resources all along are also indispensable. 

In 2002, Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) published a review report on long-term sports policy entitled “Towards a more sporting future” setting out three major strategic approaches, namely promoting sports for all, supporting elite sports and promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events. With the implementation of various initiatives in the past decade, our efforts are bearing fruit. We have been actively promoting sports development in Hong Kong through the allocation of additional resources, enhancement of relevant policies and creation of a favourable environment. The Government’s recurrent expenditure on sports development has been increased by around 40%, from about $4.8 billion in 2016-17 to about $6.6 billion in 2021-22. In addition, new resources amounting to over $60 billion have been allocated since 2017 for taking forward the relevant initiatives, including the development of Kai Tak Sports Park and over 20 district sports facilities projects, as well as the implementation of various new initiatives to support athletes and encourage citizens to do exercise regularly. 

Supporting our elite athletes

Situated in Shatin, the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) serves as our elite sports training centre. In 2007, the Government allocated about $1.8 billion to reconstruct the HKSI and upgrade the training facilities. The project was completed in 2016. Besides, the Government allocated $7 billion to establish the Elite Athletes Development Fund (EADF) in 2011 and further injected an additional $6 billion into the EADF in 2019. In recent years, the Government has substantially increased the funding support provided to the HKSI by almost 60%, with an increase in HKSI’s budgeted annual expenditure from about $520 million in 2016-17 to $820 million in 2021-22, and the number of full-time athletes has also increased from 354 in 2016-17 to 536 in 2021-22. Both direct financial grants and comprehensive support to athletes, including coaching, sports science and sports medicine, meals and accommodation services, as well as continuing education scholarships, have been significantly increased. While allocating additional resources to the HKSI, we maintain close contact with them to ensure that additional resources are gainfully deployed and regularly review the training system to help athletes achieve outstanding results in sporting events. 

Hong Kong teams have performed brilliantly at the Asian Games and various international events in recent years, with numerous Hong Kong athletes ranked among the top ten globally. Unfortunately, they were unable to win any medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Hence, in consultation with the HKSI, HAB started its planning for the strategies for the TOG in late 2016 and has since implemented the following initiatives: 

(a) Strengthening of professional teams

Two new positions, namely Deputy Chief Executive and Assistant Director of Elite Training Science and Technology, were set up in the HKSI in 2016 and 2019 respectively. The former assists the Chief Executive of the HKSI to coordinate and support athletes’ training plans and monitor their training progress; while the latter is responsible for promoting the application of sports science and sports medicine, psychology and nutrition to improve the physical fitness and competitiveness of athletes through the use of scientific methods and advanced technology. The number of such related professionals has increased from 95 in 2016 to 131 at present. 

(b) Enhancing the support system

The HKSI has 20 sports listed under Tier A, with four classified as Tier A⁺ sports based on past performance, namely cycling, windsurfing, table tennis and badminton. Additional resources have been provided to these Tier A⁺ sports to better prepare our medal hopefuls for the Olympics. At our suggestion, the HKSI has put more focus on athletes who are our medal hopefuls and allocated more resources to support them, not limited to athletes of the Tier A⁺ sports. On top of the four Tier A⁺ sports, the HKSI also provided special support to certain athletes—identified as our medal hopefuls—in three Tier A sports, namely fencing, swimming and karate. The HKSI has been asked to report the performance of these athletes and their preparation for the TOG on a regular basis. It is encouraging that the athletes of these seven sports performed brilliantly at the TOG—either winning a medal or ranking in the top eight in their events. 

(c) Setting up a dedicated support centre

In recent years, the HKSI has sent additional sports science and sports medicine professionals to travel overseas with the Hong Kong team to provide instant support to athletes and coaches. In view of the limited quota on support staff and insufficient space in the Olympic Village for Hong Kong medical teams to provide essential services to athletes, we supported the HKSI in establishing a dedicated support centre outside the Olympic Village for the first time during the TOG and TPG so that our support team, including physiotherapists and manual therapists, could provide timely medical services to our athletes. 

Gearing up under the epidemic

The epidemic outbreak in early 2020 brought unprecedented challenges to the preparation for the TOG and TPG, which were originally scheduled for the same year. HAB worked closely with relevant parties to ensure that appropriate assistance could be provided to our athletes in a timely manner to help them maintain their best condition. When the epidemic was severe, the Government imposed stringent anti-epidemic measures on scheduled premises, including the closure of sports premises. To ensure that the training of our athletes and their preparation for the TOG and TPG would not be disrupted, the HKSI implemented a series of comprehensive disease prevention measures, and stayed in operation with designation granted by the Chief Secretary for Administration. During the period from March 2020 to July 2021, the HKSI implemented “closed-door training camps” on three occasions for a total period of six months. Under such arrangement, athletes, coaches and professionals who chose to stay would not be allowed to leave the HKSI during the closure period to help provide a safe environment for the training of athletes. 

During the epidemic, some athletes still had to participate in international competitions to obtain entry qualification for the TOG and TPG or enhance their competitiveness. To strengthen their protection against the virus while participating in overseas competitions, we had, in collaboration with relevant government departments, arranged athletes, coaches, professionals and support staff of the HKSI to receive vaccination in the first instance. Besides, whilst they were under compulsory quarantine after returning to Hong Kong, we arranged for athletes to continue their training at designated sports centres under the “safety bubble” arrangement to maintain their physical fitness. We made such arrangements for more than 90 athletes, coaches and professionals before the TOG and TPG. While anti-epidemic measures should come first, we worked closely with the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) on the practicable arrangement to facilitate the training of athletes who were under compulsory quarantine. For example, when the swimming coach of Ms Siobhan Bernadette Haughey flew from the United States to Hong Kong before the TOG, we provided him with full protective gear and wireless audio equipment for coaching Ms Haughey at distance at the pool stand during his 14-day compulsory quarantine period. In addition, a special fencing piste was installed at an indoor sports centre for the fencing team, including Mr Cheung Ka-long, for their isolated training during the 14-day compulsory quarantine period after their return to Hong Kong. 

We were ready!

After years of preparation, it finally came to the moment to compete at the TOG and TPG. Before they departed, the Chief Executive presented the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to the Hong Kong, China delegation to the TOG and TPG. The flag presentation ceremonies for both Games were held at Government House. HAB was tasked with coordinating events with the relevant organisations and government departments, including the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled and Information Services Department (ISD). With the great efforts of all parties concerned, the ceremonies were held smoothly with our sincere blessings and encouragement sent to our athletes. 

Television broadcasting

There have been many twists and turns in the TOG and TPG—from the postponement of a year to closed-door competitions, with various special arrangements and disease prevention measures in force. All these posed great challenges to the organiser of the Games as well as the participating athletes and related organisations. Considering the serious impact of the epidemic on society and business operations, the Government made an unprecedented decision to acquire the broadcasting rights of the TOG and TPG for the Hong Kong region for the first time.

The broadcasting rights for the 2018 Asian Games were confirmed only a few weeks before their start; HAB closely monitored the broadcasting arrangement for the TOG and TPG shortly after the Asian Games, including whether commercial broadcasters were interested in purchasing the broadcasting rights. At the same time, the Chief Executive requested HAB to intervene when necessary to ensure Hong Kong citizens could watch the TOG and TPG for free. Subsequently, taking into account the market response and the impact of the epidemic on the economy, HAB embarked on the discussion and negotiation with the company concerned on procurement of the television broadcasting rights of the TOG and TPG. After detailed discussions and more than ten rounds of online meetings, the Government finally reached an agreement with the company on the procurement of the television broadcasting rights in May 2021.

Engaging the community

Subsequent to the Government's acquisition of television broadcasting rights of the TOG and TPG, we discussed and negotiated with the five local television broadcasters on the broadcasting arrangement, and shortly reached an agreement which included broadcasting of over 3,000 hours of events to all Hong Kong citizens for free during the Games, covering all the events in which Hong Kong athletes participated. To ensure a smooth broadcasting arrangement, we arranged a professional advisor stationed in Tokyo to coordinate and oversee the work of the “Hong Kong Pool” jointly formed by five television broadcasters throughout the TOG period. Apart from watching the Games at home, citizens could also visit the “Olympics Live Zone” set up by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) at designated sports centres in 18 districts to cheer for the Hong Kong teams. Television screens, seats, exhibition booths on the Tokyo Olympics and information were provided at each centre. Souvenirs were also distributed to the audience. During the 17-day TOG, more than 60,000 citizens visited LCSD’s “Olympic Live Zone”. The morale of the entire community was uplifted by the excellent performance of our athletes! 

Good news pouring in

During the TOG and TPG, we watched closely all the events participated by the Hong Kong team and updated their competition schedules daily for distribution to other policy bureaux so that colleagues could know their latest competition schedule and cheer for them. On the third day after the official opening of the TOG, we were so delighted to hear the good news on the winning of a gold medal by Mr Cheung Ka-long in the Men’s Foil Individual Fencing event on 26 July 2021. This was not only the first medal won by Hong Kong athlete at the TOG but also the second gold medal in Hong Kong’s history and the first Olympic gold medal since the establishment of the HKSAR. On that day, many Hong Kong citizens closely followed the “gold-winning” process by Mr Cheung through live television broadcasting. Many colleagues rushed home to watch the finals after work while some citizens watched the final event with other audiences in large shopping malls. Later on, the winning of two silver swimming medals by Ms Haughey as well as the brilliant performance of other Hong Kong athletes had completely grabbed the hearts of all Hong Kong people, the entire city’s “Olympic fever” reached new heights!

Triumphant return

In collaboration with the SF&OC, LCSD organised a “Welcome Home Reception” for the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the TOG on 19 August 2021. Members of the Delegation participated in an open-top bus parade along Nathan Road to receive congratulations from citizens. To get a glimpse of the athletes, many citizens lined up on both sides of Nathan Road from early in the morning on that day. The open-top bus then carried the Delegation members to the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District to attend the “Welcome Home Reception”. During the ceremony, the athletes received certificates of commendation from the Chief Executive one by one and shared the joy of achieving remarkable results with their family and friends.

In addition, to enhance the incentives to athletes, HAB lined up a new sponsor before the Tokyo Olympics to support the commendation scheme for elite athletes, who agreed to significantly increase the cash incentives for Hong Kong medalists. For instance, the cash award for an Olympic gold medalist has increased from $3 million in the last edition to $5 million, while cash incentives would also be offered to athletes who ranked fourth to eighth at the Olympic Games. Cash awards of over $22 million in total were presented to athletes participated at the TOG and TPG.

Sharing the joy

Since Hong Kong's return to the Motherland, the Mainland Olympians would visit Hong Kong after each Olympic Games to give Hong Kong people a glimpse of the athletes and share their joy of victory. This time was no exception. The Mainland Olympians visited Hong Kong for three days in early December 2021. Due to the epidemic and packed programmes of the visit, the preparatory work for the visit was particularly challenging. We were glad that all relevant government departments gave their full support and cooperation, making the visit a great success. Taking the opportunity, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to colleagues from LCSD, Home Affairs Department, ISD, FHB, Department of Health, Security Bureau, Hong Kong Police Force, Immigration Department, Customs and Excise Department, Fire Services Department, Correctional Services Department, Government Flying Service and Radio Television Hong Kong for their valuable assistance.

Looking ahead

Hong Kong athletes have made historical achievements at the TOG and TPG, and the social cohesion and sports atmosphere brought about by the Games have been a great encouragement to everyone in HAB. We are happy to play a part in the sports development of Hong Kong. The famous quote, “Sport has the power to change the world” by Mr Nelson Mandela, the distinguished leader of South Africa, resonates with us. We agree with his quote and often share it with others. We trust that the social effect brought by the Olympic boom this time fully reflects the power of sports.

Looking ahead, we will keep our efforts to promote sports development in Hong Kong, including supporting our athletes’ preparation for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, 2024 Paris Olympics, and the 15^th National Games to be co-hosted with the governments of the Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region in 2025. In addition, we will continue to promote sports in the community encouraging people of different ages and abilities to take part in sports. Action always speaks louder than words. So, join us in participating in sports activities that suit your interests and abilities and experience the power and fun of sports!