With cynicism deeply rooted in Hong Kong's socio-political culture, it is not surprising that the hosting of the Olympic equestrian events in the city has been greeted with much scepticism.
Although horse racing is a trademark activity of our city life, equestrianism is novel to many. It was always going to be difficult to get people interested.
Thus, the events, scheduled to begin on August 9, have largely been viewed in a negative light by the media and society.
It is not so long ago that fears about ticket sales haunted the minds of government officials and organisers. But when the last batch of 14,000 tickets goes on sale this week, the possibility of a poor turnout looks remote.
In view of the threat of a terrorist attack, there have also been concerns that the equestrian events could become a security nightmare. When the immigration chief revealed intelligence information showed that Hong Kong had become a potential target for attacks during the Games, it understandably caused disquiet.
This anxiety turned to confusion after police denied they had received any such information. Top security officials later insisted that the immigration head's remarks had been distorted.
