HK 'close to Olympic deal'
Hong Kong is set to get a piece of the 2008 Olympic Games pie, with the deal all but done to stage the equestrian events in the SAR.
A source close to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said yesterday: 'We see Hong Kong as the ideal place to hold the equestrian events in 2008.
'Hong Kong has the experience of hosting the International Races meetings. They have first-class quarantine facilities - something that's not available in China - and they have most of the training facilities in place.'
The secretary general of the FEI, Bo Helander, was in Beijing this week to discuss preparations for the 2008 Games. However, the federation is not yet ready to officially confirm that Hong Kong will host the equestrian events.
Ian Wilson, head of endurance racing for the FEI, said: 'We cannot confirm that a final decision has been made.' The source, who asked not to be named, was more forthcoming. 'It's almost a done deal,' he said. 'We believe that Sha Tin racecourse, in particular, would be an ideal place to stage the dressage events. The infield there is where we would stage the competition.'
The showjumping event would be held either at Bea's River or also at Sha Tin, he added. The sticking point remains facilities for the eventing programme. There is talk of reducing the eventing competition to a single contest - a cross-country race.
This, however, would require a trail at least six kilometres long, a facility not available in Hong Kong.
'We have decided that the eventing programme must be held in 2008. Now we have to wait and see if Hong Kong can carve out a suitable trail,' the source said. 'The alternative would be to hold the show jumping and dressage in Hong Kong and the eventing in Beijing.
'But this would involve extra costs for all the teams, special permission from the IOC and the Beijing organising committee as well as cause all sorts of logistical nightmares. Ideally, it would be fantastic if Hong Kong and the FEI could come up with a solution for the eventing programme, so we can have everything in one place.
'Imagine a full house at Sha Tin watching the Games - it would be an amazing spectacle.'
However, He Huixian, a senior official with the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), recently poured cold water on the idea of Hong Kong hosting any events.
He said: 'It is unlikely Hong Kong would host any events because both Hong Kong and China are independent entities in the International Olympic Committee. The rules have always stated that a city that has been awarded the Games should host all the events.'
He did concede that the venue for the equestrian events had not been decided. However, earlier comments from COC secretary general Tu Mingde gave Hong Kong some hope.
Tu backed up comments from Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games president Liu Qi, that the issue was 'not a cause that cannot be strived for'.
In 2001, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Beijing's bid document had not mentioned Hong Kong. 'We signed a contract with Beijing on the basis of that document,' he said.
