Father of Hong Kong sport A de O Sales dies, aged 100: confronted terrorists, played by the book and helped Hong Kong achieve sporting autonomy after 1997
- He was the co-founder of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, which gave local athletes the chance to compete under their own flag
- He was also a former Commonwealth Games Federation president, presiding over Hong Kong’s last Commonwealth Games in 1994
A de O Sales, the man who confronted terrorists in Munich 1972, gave Hong Kong sport a life of its own 70 years ago and helped preserve the city’s sporting autonomy beyond 1997, has died. He was 100.
Arnaldo de Oliveira Sales, affectionately known as “Sonny”, died on Friday. Because of illness, Sales stepped away from public life in the 2000s and had been at the Hong Kong Sanatorium for around 10 years before his death.
“The officers and members of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) would like to express our sadness and deepest condolences for the passing away of our Honorary Life President, The Hon Arnaldo de Oliveira Sales, GBM, JP, on 6 March 2020,” the SF&OC said in a statement on Saturday.
“Being one of the founders of the federation, Mr Sales devoted more than half a century as Honorary Secretary General, Chairman, President and Honorary Life President respectively to provide insights in different stages of sports development in Hong Kong and internationally.
“Under his presidency from 1967 to 1998, Hong Kong athletes gradually gained recognition in many international multi-sports Games such as the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and Asian Games. With his vision and utmost effort, Hong Kong was retained as a separate sporting entity after the changeover of sovereignty which greatly supported the continuum of worldwide exposure of Hong Kong athletes for sports competitions beyond 1997.”