Cash injection welcome but details needed, says sports officials after Carrie Lam’s policy address
- Hong Kong’s Chief Executive promises in her policy address to increase its annual subsidies ‘progressively’ to NSAs
- Elite training grants for athletes will also increase as they prepare for 2020 Tokyo Games
Hong Kong’s leading sports officials have welcomed the government’s plans to inject more money into the local sport community but hope more details could be provided after chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made her policy address on Wednesday.
Sport was not mentioned in the main body of Lam’s latest policy address under the motto “Treasure Hong Kong: Our Home” but sport was briefly mentioned as they were two more paragraphs read out under “progress” made and “challenges they will face”.
As it has been the case for years, sport was mentioned in just three paragraphs in the policy address.
Under the government’s new initiative, the first paragraph said: “Implement measures to enhance the Sports Subvention Scheme and progressively increase the yearly subvention for 60 NSAs from about HK$300 million to more than HK$500 million to enhance the promotion and development of sports in the community, youth training programmes, public participation, squad training at all levels and overseas exchange programmes/competitions; and enhance the corporate governance of NSAs (National Sports Associations). NSAs can also make use of the additional resources to improve their manpower and staff remuneration.”
The next two paragraphs centres on the Sports Institute in Fo Tan and plans to build a new HK$900 million facility as well as an increase in training grants for elite athletes as they build up for next year’s Olympic Games.