Delay leaves athletes 'homeless'
Hong Kong's elite athletes have been left out in the cold as construction work on their new training facilities in Ma On Shan has been delayed.
Athletes in the Hong Kong Sports Institute's 13 elite sports are moving out of their Sha Tin headquarters to make room for the construction of 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events' facilities.
However, the coaches were told on Wednesday the athletes' hostel in Ma On Shan would not be available until the middle of January and that the athletes would either have to travel from home or stay in a university guest house.
One of the coaches, who asked not to be named said: 'Many of us [coaches] think this is ridiculous because the authorities have been planning this for more than a year. Now, just before we are about to leave for the new base, they say the plan has to be delayed.'
A staff member of the Sports Institute also cast doubt on whether the new facilities would be ready by January.
'We went to see the new office this month but everything was still under construction. I cannot see how we can start working there next month,' the source said. 'We were told there were some financial disputes between the workers and the contractors and that's why they cannot finish the work in time.'
Hong Kong's fencers, who won four bronze medals at the Asian Games, are in for an even longer wait - their facilities are unlikely to be completed until February.
Head coach Wang Ruiji said the fencers would remain in Sha Tin for the time being but would have to make do with a makeshift venue for training.
'We have to move to the table tennis venue for training during this period because it is still available when the construction work for equestrian facilities at the Sha Tin sports complex starts in January,' said Wang.
'But there will be no support facilities here by that time and we have to re-arrange everything such as food supply and sports science and sports medicine support.'
