THE Sports Development Board have drawn up an 11-point code of conduct for the territory's governing bodies to ensure the proper management of taxpayers' money.
The statutory code, which will come into effect on April 1, provides national sports associations with guidelines on how to conduct their activities fairly.
However, the SDB denies that the move was initiated because of the recent behaviour of some sports bodies, notably cycling and judo, for whom some of the guidelines seem highly pertinent.
Howard Wells, SDB executive director, said the board were not trying to flex their law-making muscles but were simply offering ways of improving the overall management of Hongkong sport, as set out in the board's 1991 four-year strategic plan.
''We have been working on this for the last couple of years,'' said Wells. ''It has nothing to do with what has happened in the last year.
''The SDB are not looking to punish associations or to be seen to wield a heavy hand.