Leading figures from politics, business and sport paid tribute yesterday to the late tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung at a public memorial service ahead of his funeral today.
Those attending the memorial service praised the former Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference vice-chairman's contribution to Hong Kong and said he would be deeply missed.
CPPCC delegate and Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun said he had been Fok's friend for more than 40 years and remembered playing football and going dancing with Fok.
Describing him as a very clever person, Mr Ho said he had never seen Fok lose his temper. 'Once one of his staff made a mistake and I asked him whether he should be scolded. Fok just said: 'It's my mistake because I shouldn't have asked him to do this thing'.'
Among other leading businessmen to attend the service were Li Ka-shing, Sir Run Run Shaw, Robert Kuok and Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong.
Olympic gold medallist and windsurfer Lee Lai-shan, who praised Fok's contribution to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, said: 'I talked to him in 1996, and found him to be a very nice person. He played a great part in promoting Hong Kong's sports. Nowadays, it's very hard to find such a dedicated person,' Lee said.