Hong Kong’s long-awaited Kai Tak Sports Park reaches out to 200 local, global groups to promote venue amid ‘white elephant’ concerns
- Authorities say main stadium should host various sports events for at least 40 days a year
- ‘I am very worried that if there are not enough events held at the venue, the societal discourse will believe that it has become a white elephant project,’ lawmaker says
Hong Kong’s long-awaited Kai Tak Sports Park has contacted more than 200 city and international groups to promote itself as a venue for large-scale events, authorities have revealed, amid lawmakers’ concerns about it becoming a white elephant.
Acting secretary for culture, sports and tourism Raistlin Lau Chun said the government had stipulated the venue should host a variety of sports events at its main stadium for at least 40 days a year in its first five years of operation.
“[The operator of the park] has already contacted over 200 local and international groups to introduce its facilities,” he said during a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday.
“There is some headway for some discussions, but it is not appropriate for me to announce anything at this stage as there are a lot of commercial details that need to be handled.”
With a 50,000-seat stadium, a 10,000-seat indoor centre and a 5 000-seat public sports ground, the HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) park on the site of the city’s former airport was designed to cater for major events.
It is operated by New World Development and its subsidiary NWS Holdings and is expected to be open for business next year.