Tokyo 2020: Hong Kong sailors left high and dry as Covid-19 threatens Olympic qualification hopes

Sailing officials have questioned the government for stopping their elite training during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it is jeopardising their hopes of qualifying for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

While most of Hong Kong’s elite training continues at the Sports Institute in Fo Tan, sailors have been marooned with their training centre in Sai Kung closed for a second time last month when the government tightened measures after a resurgence of Covid-19. The centre was also closed earlier in the year when the outbreak first hit Hong Kong.

“We do not train at the Sports Institute for obvious reasons as there are no sailing facilities there,” said Sailing Federation president Tong Yui-shing. “But unfortunately our Little Palm Beach centre has also been closed for more than a month due to the return of the pandemic in July, the same fate for all other sailing facilities in Hong Kong.

“Last week when the government reopened some of the sports facilities, we were not on the list. We have no idea why as most of our events involve one or two crew members only and have little chance of infection compared to other sports. We are talking about elite training and not recreational activities which may involve a large number of people.

“As Olympic qualification looms, which will play a key role in our future elite development, we must resume training as soon as possible,” Tong said.

The sport, like other tier A programmes at the Fo Tan elite academy, must qualify for the Olympic Games as one of the prerequisites to continue to receive abundant support, financially and technically. After missing an Asian Games medal in Indonesia two years ago, they face the axe if they fail to meet the Tokyo Olympics qualification.