Hong Kong’s home of track and field set to be scrapped as outgoing CY Leung announces Wan Chai redevelopment
Government plans to scrap the historic sports ground as part of an extension of the adjacent Convention and Exhibition Centre is greeted with deep disappointment by athletics officials
Government plans to scrap Wan Chai Sports Ground, the home of Hong Kong track and field, have been greeted with deep disappointment by athletics officials.
Built in 1979 when the Wan Chai reclamation area was still an unpopular location, the facility was the first international-standard sports venue in the area and has witnessed generations of athletes perform, breaking many Hong Kong records, including Tsui Chi-ho’s men’s 100 metre and Tang Yik-chun’s 200m marks.
In his final policy address on Wednesday, chief executive Leung Chun-ying proposed comprehensive redevelopment of the site in 2019 at the earliest as an extension of the adjacent Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Apart from convention and exhibition venues, the development proposal would comprise “stylish and novel recreation and sports facilities” as well as “other necessary community facilities for the district, with a view to optimising land use”, but the athletics track will be removed.
“We were never consulted about the plan and this is very disappointing,” said Simon Yeung Sai-mo, senior vice chairman of the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association (HKAAA).