Hong Kong making sports development push after landmark Olympics: city leader Carrie Lam

Chief executive unveils raft of measures on Tuesday, including expediting construction of new facility at Hong Kong Sports Institute

City also teaming up with Jockey Club for a new HK$300 million fund aimed at boosting sports science and medicine

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A new fencing stadium is among the Hong Kong sports projects being expedited following the Olympic success of athletes such as Edgar Cheung. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:10am, 10 Aug 2021Updated: 3:50am, 11 Aug 2021

Hong Kong’s leader has unveiled a raft of measures aimed at boosting sports development in the wake of the city’s Olympics triumph, including expediting construction of a major new training facility and setting up a multimillion-dollar fund dedicated to sports science.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also did not exclude the possibility of the government bidding for the broadcasting rights to more major sporting events in the future after making the unprecedented move to do so for the Tokyo Olympics.

Hong Kong’s athletes marked a historic showing at the recently concluded Games, bringing home six medals – one gold, two silvers and three bronzes.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam unveiled a raft of measures aimed at boosting Hong Kong sports development on Tuesday. Photo: Nora Tam

Among the five new measures outlined was the expedited construction of a new 9,000-square-metre (97,000 sq ft) building at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Sha Tin, which Lam has targeted for a June 2024 opening – two years earlier than originally planned.

“It’s not a fleeting interest in sports,” Lam said. “We have spent a long time in the past decade to promote sports in the community and support elite sports development, and now it’s time for the city to become specialised in sports.”

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