Resolutions we'd all like to see
It's time to make the traditional resolution: give up those vodka tonics. As every new year dawns, we all go through the same charade. How long the resolution lasts is another thing. My record for futility, a few years ago, was just a couple of hours when a friend sold me on the benefits of the hair of the dog.
But today is just perfect for making some new resolutions. And handing out a few in the spirit of the season:
To the Hong Kong government: Let's resolve to get cracking on the Kai Tak sports hub. Enough time has been spent on talking up the benefits of having a state-of-the-art stadium which can seat around 55,000 people at the former airport site. The So Kon Po facility is outdated. For one thing, it lacks enough changing rooms for players, but on the other hand its beauty is that the fans are close to the action. Let's hope the new stadium will keep this facet while also having a good playing surface.
Let's hope the additional stadiums promised at the sports hub will include one arena with seating for around 8,000 to 10,000 fans, which is suitable for sports from soccer to hockey and cricket. Also another facility with a roof would be great, one that could be used for tennis, for example.
It has been more than five years since the idea was first floated. Everyone agrees it would be good for Hong Kong. Let the work begin so the fun and games can also start soon, and not later than 2018. If Hong Kong is to have any chance of getting a few games at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, we have to show hosts Japan and the International Rugby Board that a world-class facility is ready and available.
To the Hong Kong government: Let's promise to continue with the Mega Events Fund. The HK$100 million fund was set up three years ago to promote events in the field of sports, arts and culture and was one of the better schemes launched by our bureaucrats. The only problem with the fund, which was run by the Tourism Commission, was all the hoops you had to jump through in asking for a helping hand and the fact that when you got one, it was more likely to push you further into debt than pull you out of trouble.
Obviously, the beneficiary has to follow a few rules and meet certain obligations, but let's try to loosen some of the bureaucratic bondage. And if an applicant asks for HK$4 million and gets the green light, give it all up front. That's the whole purpose of having a fund like this. There is no point giving half and saying you will dish out the rest only if all those rules and regulations are met. Without the full requirement, how can small sporting associations cover costs?
If the purpose of this fund is to truly make Hong Kong the events capital of Asia - and that self-proclaimed sobriquet is open to debate - then we need enterprising people to come forward with bold ideas. As to whether you dish out the money or not is up to you, but if you do, go the whole hog, and not piecemeal. It doesn't help anyone.
To the Hong Kong government: Let's fulfil our pledge to make Hong Kong a true world city in Asia. One way would be to bring major sporting events here. We could start by looking at acquiring a top-class tennis tournament annually. The price tag to buy a licence would be around US$10 million at least, if one is available. What about a Formula One race? Multiply the previous price tag by at least 10. This is what makes a city come alive. If Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi continue to invest in sport and world-class events, they deserve to be called Asia's World City.
To the Hong Kong government: Let's make up our minds to curtail traffic on one day of the year - during the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon - and run the race primarily through the streets of Hong Kong Island. Give it some soul. And don't run when a few residents complain. Appease them however you must, or simply ignore them. More than 70,000 voices can't be wrong. Next month's event deserves a lot better. Organisers have raised the prize money by almost 50 per cent to US$227,000. But to attract the world's top runners, you will need more than just that.
To the Hong Kong Football Association: Let's resolve to stay awake during (board) meetings, especially at those where the future of the game is being discussed.
To Ernie Merrick (Hong Kong's new soccer coach who takes up the job this week): Let's resolve to learn from the bitter pill of defeat. Hong Kong are ranked 168 in the world and your main goal is to move them up the world rankings. There will be plenty of defeats along the way.
To everyone else: Let's resolve to be a happy sporting family. And remember, resolutions are there to be broken.
Happy New Year.
