Call for Hong Kong to review sports funding to easier identify next gold medallists

Hong Kong’s funding system for sports should be reviewed to better identify potential elite athletes and develop middle-tier ones, a vice-chairman of the body overseeing the sector has said.

Awards for the medallists have been pouring in from the private sector, including from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sino Group founder’s charity, Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and restaurant operator LH Group.

After the city’s medal wins, Hong Kong Sports Institute vice-chairman Vincent Cheng Wing-shun called for a review of the government’s three-tiered Elite Vote Support Scheme.

“I feel that the direction we have been taking with the Tier A* sports like badminton, table tennis and fencing is good, and support has constantly been improving,” Chen, who is also a lawmaker, said on Wednesday. “But for Tier A and Tier B sports like judo, squash and triathlon, these actually have a lot of potential to develop further, especially the category B sports.”

Putting more resources into the lower tier could help athletes move into the higher ranks, he said.