New, improved stadium needed, says Olympic Committee chief
Without better facilities the city risks falling behind in bid to host large events amid growing competition, head of Olympic Committee says
Better stadiums with better facilities should be built as soon as possible if the city is to remain competitive as a regional hub for large-scale sporting events, said the head of Hong Kong's Olympic Committee.
"The proposal to build a better sports stadium must come through as soon as possible as [visiting sports teams] now have plenty of other cities to choose from," said Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, speaking at an awards presentation for retired professional athletes yesterday.
His plea comes amid fears that the 50,000-seat stadium with retractable roof planned for the Kai Tak sports complex will not meet a new delayed deadline of 2019. Fok said Hong Kong could fast lose out to cities like Guangzhou, which hosted the Asian Games in 2010, Shenzhen which hosted the Universiade in 2011, and Nanjing, which will be hosting the Youth Olympics in 2014.
"Many Southeast Asian nations and mainland cities have built very good sporting facilities not just specifically for big sporting events, but also for public use and raising the quality of living in cities," he said. "Time is our biggest enemy here."
Responding to questions regarding last month's fiasco over sub-standard turf conditions at Hong Kong Stadium, Fok said it was obvious Hong Kong's current premier venue for sporting events was no longer "adequate".
"Hong Kong Stadium once had a running track for athletics. It was removed when the city began hosting the rugby sevens. This is quite sad as many young athletes were suddenly unable to use the stadium," he said.