Show the stop sign to Hong Kong’s namby-pamby moaners and give Formula E the green light
Usual chorus of disapproval rose for last weekend’s HKT Hong Kong E-Prix but ‘not in my backyard’ attitude threatens to strangle emerging sporting culture
One of the few advantages to come with ageing is you tend to judge things less on what you hear and more on what you see for yourself.
Soon enough and you’ll be believing anything but my wits are still about me, contrary to rumours in some parts, and that brings us to the matter of last weekend’s HKT Hong Kong E-Prix, and a fear in my gut that is like tangled twine (as a man once sang).
Last year, when Hong Kong hosted its first E-Prix, a prior commitment overseas meant much of what I learned about the event came through second-hand reports.
They were taken with a grain of salt given the city’s rich history as a place where we moan first and then take stock of the realities later – or never.
That’s why you can still hear a chorus of disapproval rising every January before the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, each April before the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, at the end of the year when golf’s UBS Hong Kong Open looms into view – and just about any time an event relies on the use of even the smallest scrap of public space or money.
