Organisers of May’s track cycling Nations Cup hopeful showpiece can still go ahead with ‘bubble’
- Cycling Association to inject an additional HK$1 million on safety health measures so that the event can go ahead despite worrisome pandemic
- Star rider Sarah Lee can use the event in her build up for the Tokyo Olympics this summer
Organisers of this year’s UCI track cycling Nations Cup are putting up an additional HK$1 million to set up a proposed safety “bubble” so that the event can go ahead despite the city still battling the pandemic.
Even after the postponement of both January’s Hong Kong Marathon and the Rugby Sevens in April, the four-day local cycling event on May 13-16 at Tseung Kwan O Velodrome could become the first major international sporting event to be held in the pandemic-hit city in 2021 – if they get the green light from the government.
Hong Kong was hit by 41 more Covid-19 infections on Monday as the city continues to grapple with the fourth wave of the pandemic but the association is still hopeful their event can still be held in a safe environment.
“We understand it will be impossible to stage the event without a ‘bubble’ plan these days,” said Cycling Association’s executive director Alex Wong Chi-yu. “And thanks to the International Cycling Union safety protocols and the expertise from the Tokyo Olympic Games track cycling team, we are now formulating a set of health measures to guarantee the safety of all the [visiting] international riders and members of the local organisers.
“But in the end, we still have to convince the government that the plan will work as they are the ones in charge of immigration. We hope to put forward a detailed plan for discussion some time next month.”