Hong Kong's future as a separate entity in the international sporting arena after 1997 is not 100 per cent guaranteed according to the territory's most respected sports official, Dr Henry Fok.
Asian Football Confederation vice-president Dr Fok, who is also a member of FIFA's executive committee, said last night at a hastily arranged press conference that the territory may not retain its autonomy after the handover.
The property tycoon, who has been involved in Hong Kong sports for well over 30 years, is worried there could be member countries from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who may object to China and Hong Kong fielding separate teams in the international arena - because they might not understand or might misinterpret the territory's unique status.
'There is really no guarantee even if the IOC or FIFA have made assurances it would not be a problem because there could be voting members from the IOC who could vote against Hong Kong becoming a separate sporting entity,' he said.
'According to the Basic Law, Hong Kong sports associations can retain independent membership in the international governing sports bodies, like the IOC and FIFA.
'However, the name of Hong Kong will be changed to Special Administrative Region [SAR].
