Uproar from sports bodies over plan to shift Kai Tak stadium to Lantau
Sports bodies furious over floating of idea to relocate proposed sports hub to Sunny Bay, Lantau and build more flats at Kai Tak instead
Hong Kong's top sports officials have hit out strongly at the government for looking to move the proposed sports hub at Kai Tak to Sunny Bay on Lantau Island, saying it would be going back on the promise to provide the city with a world-class sporting and recreational centre.
Terry Smith, deputy chairman of the government's Major Sports Events committee and a member of the Sports Commission, said: "It will be an absolute disaster and would seriously undermine government plans to foster sport and develop Hong Kong into the events capital of Asia."
Trevor Gregory, chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, said: "It will be a big mistake if they decide to press ahead and move the sports hub from Kai Tak to Lantau. It's not only the sports community which will be affected by this move, because this was supposed to be a recreation and tourism hub, too."
A shortage of public housing has led to suggestions in certain government quarters that the land allocated at Kai Tak for the sports hub be used to build flats. Despite a sports hub at Kai Tak being official government policy, with both the former and current chief executives publicly supporting it, the pressure for a re-think has been gaining momentum.
The transport and housing secretary, Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, said last weekend that the site had room for more flats. His comment came after the development secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, granted a review of the plan last month. Another key government adviser, Michael Choi Ngai-min, who sits on the long-term housing strategy steering committee, has also suggested that the number of new homes at the Kai Tak site be doubled to 70,000 units.
All this has led to voracious eyes being cast towards the 20 hectares approved by public consultation and government committe for a 50,000-seater stadium with a retractable roof as well as a 6,000-seater secondary stadium and a 5,000-seat indoor stadium. The entire cost for the project at Kowloon East was expected to be HK$19 billion.
Hong Kong's Olympic chief, Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, who is also the vice-chairman of the Sports Commission, said it was very disappointing that the government was thinking of building extra housing at Kai Tak.