Hong Kong sports bosses reviewing how governing bodies operate, says city’s leader
- Chief Executive John Lee says Sports Federation & Olympic Committee report should be ready later this year, as he weighs in on swimming row
Hong Kong’s leader has weighed in on the row involving the city’s swimming association and one of its affiliate clubs, and said officials had been working on a review of how sporting bodies in the city operate.
Pointing to the “significant amount” of taxpayer money spent each year on sport, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said if areas for improvement were identified they should be approached with a “responsible attitude”.
Lee’s comments before Tuesday’s weekly meeting of the Executive Council, came in response to a row that erupted last week between swimming chiefs and Olympian Alex Fong, who said they had barred a nine-year-old from a meet because he belonged to a non-eligible club.
The Hong Kong China Swimming Association said Fong knew the rules regarding club eligibility, but later said the boy could compete as an individual, rather than as a representative of the singer and actor’s academy.
Lee said a working group established by the city’s Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SFOC) in 2020 was expected to report back later this year on its review of the governance and operations of sporting organisations.
“The government spends a significant amount of money each year, working with various sports associations to promote sports activities and assist in the training of athletes,” he said, adding that he agreed sports bodies should be free to establish criteria for allocating resources and arranging competitions.