Fok hints he'll back rugby's bid for inclusion
Hong Kong's Olympic boss Timothy Fok Tsun-ting hinted yesterday that he could come out in support of rugby's bid to become a medal sport at the 2012 Games - if it came down to a vote at the IOC session in Singapore next week.
After gracing the opening ceremony at Hong Kong's Olympic Day Run at Siu Sai Wan stadium - Fok and a covey of government officials ran about 50 metres - the president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee revealed that he might plump for rugby sevens which he said was one of the SAR's signature sports.
'Rugby sevens is a signature event in Hong Kong and in this TV age it has huge appeal,' said Fok. 'I have been getting a lot of correspondence and calls from every sport asking me for their support and it is going to be a difficult choice. I guess I will make my final decision on the day after speaking to my colleagues.'
Fok will be one of 116 members of the International Olympic Committee session, who will vote on the fate of the existing 28 sports in the summer Olympic programme. If any fail to get an outright majority, they will be dropped. Fok and his peers will then have to vote on which of the five hopefuls - rugby, golf, squash, karate and roller sports - will become a medal sport at the 2012 Olympics.
This will be the first time that IOC members will be asked to vote on the Olympic programme. In his move to combat gigantism, IOC president Jacques Rogge in 2002 put a cap on the number of sports - at 28 and 10,500 athletes. Fok, who became an IOC member in 2001, says he will try to feel the pulse of his peers before making a decision.
'This will be the first time that I will be voting as an IOC member,' he said.
Last week, Xhong Min, a senior official from the fledgling Chinese Rugby Football Union, said that if rugby became an Olympic sport, it would lead to an explosion in the number of players on the mainland with all 31 provinces likely to form teams. There are currently 1,000 male rugby players on the mainland.
Before the sports vote - on July 8 - Fok and the rest of the members will vote on July 6 over which city will host the 2012 Olympics - Paris, London, New York, Madrid or Moscow. Fok kept mum when asked which city he preferred.
