Hong Kong sports federation blasts ice hockey association over ‘inaccurate’ claims about anthem blunder at international tournament
- Top sports federation says ice hockey association said it tried several times to hand over anthem USB drive at international tournament, but alleges claim not true
- Federation official says organisation did not have USB drive at Bosnia and Herzegovina tournament
The war of words over the anthem blunder continued after the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association submitted its final report on Thursday to the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China on how to improve its corporate governance in the wake of the incident, the deadline for the response.
A letter submitted with the report said men’s hockey team leader Annie Kwan Yuen-yee had tried six times to give a USB drive with “March of the Volunteers” to staff of the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the team arrived on February 26.
But the letter added Kwan was unsuccessful each time, for reasons such as the appropriate staff member could not be located or, on one occasion, when Mirzet Hodzic, the chief of competition, declined to accept the USB drive because he thought he already had a copy of the correct music.
The association, however, did admit that when “scrutinised retrospectively”, Kwan’s attempts might have been insufficient, “no matter how unintentional and how busily engaged” she was throughout the event.
The letter also hit back at accusations it claimed the federation had made, such as being “unwilling” to reflect on its own failings or “evasive”.
The association said it was “particularly offensive” for the federation to suggest the ice hockey group did not take the incident seriously.
The association said it “refuted and protested” allegations that it had handled the national anthem in an undignified manner.
But the sports federation’s honorary secretary general Edgar Yang Joe-tsi on Friday rejected the association’s explanations and said it was “understood” that organisation did not have a USB drive.
Hong Kong ice hockey body advises other associations on how to avoid anthem blunders
Yang said the lack of a USB drive was established at a recorded face-to-face meeting with association representatives on March 23.
He also blamed the association for making several public statements since the anthem blunder, which “caused some major misunderstandings in society”.
He added he was “even more disappointed” after he had read the final report.
“The federation has never accused the Ice Hockey Association of disrespecting the national anthem,” he said.
“We have only ever expressed that the association failed to handle and present the national anthem in a dignified manner in accordance to guidelines.
“It is all about actions and attitude,” Yang added.
He highlighted that the association had been able to do everything required in a “satisfactory manner” in Romania on April 9, where the city’s women’s team won a historic gold.
The wrong music was almost played, but staff caught the mistake in time.
“But in Bosnia, the association didn’t seem to be able to do anything, so we do believe it was a human error.”
‘Ill management’ by Hong Kong ice hockey group caused anthem mix-up: sports body
But Kwan said that Yang might not have “properly digested” the association’s report and letter and denied inaccuracies.
The row broke out after music linked to the 2019 anti-government protests was played after Hong Kong beat Iran 11-1 at the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship in February, where the city’s men’s team won bronze in Division III, Group B.
The federation has threatened to sanction the association with suspension of its membership.
The government later said that it might cut funding if that were to happen “on the premise that competition and training of athletes were unaffected”.
