Unless there are plans to employ the 'build-it-in-a-flash' consortium behind the towering Sky City in Changsha, it seems our own sports hub at Kai Tak might not be completed on schedule. But even more worrying than the delay to start work on a state-of-the-art stadium and the surrounding infrastructure is that everything has gone silent in the government's corridors of power.
In early February, Home Affairs Bureau deputy secretary Jonathan McKinley told us that in six weeks a consultancy study would reveal which way the government should proceed with the HK$19 billion project. The man responsible for sport in government circles said the option being studied was whether to involve the private sector or if the government should go it alone.
McKinley said: 'In the next six weeks, the government will know the best way to finance it.' Three months on, we are still in the dark.
The plan is to build a main stadium with at least 50,000 seats, including a retractable roof, plus two other main venues: a 6,000-seater secondary stadium and a 5,000-seater indoor stadium.
We are fully aware time moves slowly within bureaucratic circles, but surely not at this snail's pace.
Over the past three months, we have periodically reminded McKinley first, and then others, as to whether a decision has been taken. After the first reminder, McKinley passed us on to others inside the bureau whom he said were more hands-on with what was going on, but still no luck. We have been in touch with Ella Yu and Agnes Law, who responded immediately but ambiguously.