CLAIMS that three-quarters of Hongkong's population took part in the International Challenge have been questioned by a population expert.
The Urban and Regional Councils declared at the end of Wednesday's event - in which Hongkong competed against Vancouver to see which city had the most participants per capita - that a staggering 4.4 million people took part in Hongkong. More than 122,000residents accepted the challenge in Vancouver.
However Hongkong University's Dr Ronald Skeldon, an expert in population dynamics, said it would be ''very surprising and unlikely'' if that many people underwent 15 minutes of exercise to become eligible to count as being part of the health promotion event.
According to Dr Skeldon 8.7 per cent of Hongkong's population is over 65 and another 346,000 are under four.
''Add to this those who are in hospital or jail and it means virtually 90 per cent of those able to entered and competed. It is theoretically possible but not very plausible,'' Dr Skeldon said.
But the Urban and Regional Councils were sticking by their sums.
A Regional Council spokesman said the total number was reached by counting registration forms, telephone calls and heads at the events.