Power is with the people, says Olympic ringmaster Seb Coe as he outlines his vision for Kai Tak Sports Park
Athletics boss says ensuring the community feel like they have ‘some skin in the game’ is crucial
Coe is in Hong Kong in his role as executive chairman of CSM Sport & Entertainment, which is partnering with Guangzhou R&F Properties as one of three consortiums bidding for the tender of the HK$32 billion Sports Park.
While there has been plenty of discussion around the importance of the appearance of the stadium in resonating with the public, Coe says working with the community every step of the way is crucial.
“You have got to engage local people in the development. The Sports Park has the advantage of giving a chance for people to really understand and get excited about the project and feel they have got some skin in the game, they are part of it, they have been engaged and they are helping,” said Coe, who is president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and led London’s successful 2012 Olympic bid.
“It is very easy to get into the weeds very quickly and start talking about how it is going to work and how it is going to look and more often than not that leaves people cold.