Sporting events such as sailing, basketball, beach volleyball, football and e-sports could be a good start. They would certainly attract the support of Hong Kong people who are interested in sports and outdoor activities. Local talent would have a platform to prove themselves and compete in tournaments in front of home crowds.
Hong Kong has an enviable landscape and natural beauty that has been protected by its people and government over the years. What better way to showcase this to the world than by hosting a major sailing or beach volleyball event in its coastal areas, complemented by all the amenities, shopping and culinary attractions that this iconic port city has to offer?
Regional basketball, football and e-sports tournaments in Hong Kong involving teams from the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, mainland China, Japan and Malaysia would be a great way to boost regional short-haul tourism. Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry, with the United Nations World Tourism Organization estimating it to grow 17.5 percent annually through 2030. Hong Kong can position itself to capitalize on this opportunity.
With its location, its world-class infrastructure, its urban and natural landscapes, its welcoming and enthusiastic people and the recent success of its Olympians in Paris, Hong Kong has what it takes to secure a place for itself on the world sporting map.
Nuruddin Walyani, Wan Chai
To take sports development to the next level, a vision is needed
Looking to the future of sport in Hong Kong, in addition to funding better venues, world-class coaches and incentives to attract a new generation of athletes, there is certainly a need for long-term foresight with a focus on introducing sports in which our athletes can compete.
It is not a question of Hong Kong athletes being the majority. The question is whether there are people in our city with the vision and skills needed to take Hong Kong sport to the next level of development.
Hans Ebert, Wan Chai
Belarus’s exclusion from the Olympics is not well received
At the recently concluded Paris Olympic Games, two trampoline gymnasts, Ivan Litvinovich and Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya, won gold and silver medals respectively. However, their results did not appear in the official medal table because they competed as neutral individual athletes (AIN) after their home country, Belarus, was banned from participating in the Olympics due to its support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that allowing Russia to take part in the Olympics would be a sign that “terrorism is somehow acceptable.” However, I see no reason why Belarus should be excluded from the Olympics.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has had a huge impact not only on the two countries, but also on allied nations such as Belarus, which was doomed to support Russia during the war due to its close economic and political ties with Moscow. Western countries have imposed various sanctions against Belarus, including in the field of sports.
The two trampolinists from Belarus have trained their entire lives to bring Olympic glory to their country. Unfortunately, due to political events that have nothing to do with sports, they were unable to compete under their national flag or in their national colors. When Litvinovich won gold, a song without lyrics commissioned by the International Olympic Committee was played instead of the Belarusian national anthem and the blue-green AIN flag was raised.
I feel sorry for these two athletes and I do not support the actions of the International Olympic Committee.
Matthew Ngai, Tseung Kwan O
