Tokyo Olympics: big screen in Kowloon gives 500 fans chance to cheer on Hong Kong athletes at 2020 Games opening ceremony
- Live coverage of the Tokyo Games will continue at Art Park over the weekend after the opening ceremony, bringing live sporting action to West Kowloon
- Four former Olympians join the ‘Go Hong Kong Team’ festival to show their support for those vying for medals at the Tokyo Games
Local sports fans can cheer on Hong Kong’s Olympians at the Tokyo Games opening ceremony with a big screen set to be installed at Art Park in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Organised by the Hong Kong Olympic Fans Club, the evening gala event on July 23 under the name “Go Hong Kong Team” will allow 500 fans to show their support for the athletes as they march into the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. It will be followed by two Olympic fun days over the weekend with more live coverage of Hong Kong athletes in action at the Games.
“We want to bring more people to watch the opening ceremony but because of social distancing rules, we cannot do that and must limit the attendance to about 500 people,” said Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, chairman of the Fans Club and vice-president of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee.
“There will also be other stage shows that evening to celebrate the Olympic Games opening ceremony, such as chit chat with athletes and singing performance by athletes. We hope more people can enjoy the Olympic Games even though they cannot go to Tokyo.”
The two fun days will allow fans to experience different sports, with help from various national associations. The Olympic Games fortnight will also see a number of sporting events being taken into the community, such rock climbing, a five-a-side football day at Victoria Park and a virtual sporting experience at Olympian City in Tai Kok Tsui.
“We hope these events can involve more Hong Kong people in sports especially during the Tokyo Olympic Games when our athletes are fighting for the pride and honour of Hong Kong,” said Fok. “Of course, we won’t stop at the Olympics and will continue to promote sports in the community after the Games.”
To support the “Go Hong Kong Team” programme, organisers invited four past Olympians to a launch ceremony on Thursday – cyclist Wong Kam-po, who has represented Hong Kong in five Olympic Games from 1996 Atlanta to 2012 London, gymnast Angel Wong Hiu-ying and fencer Lam Hin-chung (both 2012 London) and swimmer Claudia Lau Yin-yan (2016 Rio).
Lau has high hopes for fellow University of Michigan graduate Siobhan Haughey, saying the star swimmer has made huge improvements since making her debut at the 2016 Rio Games.
“Five years ago she was still green in Rio but now she is among the best in the world in her events such as 200m freestyle,” said Lau, who graduated from the same university in 2015. “I have full confidence in Siobhan after watching her performance in ISL and other major events.
“And this time she also has our university coach Rick Bishop here with her for final preparations, which should help a lot.”
Gymnast Wong, who went to the London Games with Shek Wai-hung, also praised the progress of her teammate. “Shek has both difficulty and execution in his two vault exercises, which should put him as one of the favourites in Tokyo,” said Wong. “But he must deliver in the qualifying before reaching the final eight and we’ll see what he can do.”
