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Mike Chan

With less than four months to go before the National Games, dozens of Hong Kong athletes hoping to represent the city have had their dreams dashed by a group of civil servants.
The city’s organising committee has decided that only sports whose teams finished in the top eight at either the Paris Olympics last year or the Asian Games in 2023 could enter multiple sides in National Games team events.
Sports that hosted a team event in Hong Kong, such as handball or rugby, could also enter multiple teams.
Governing bodies of those failing to meet either criterion could nominate only one team to represent the city, with the committee having final approval. That camp includes the likes of volleyball and football, which have men’s and women’s teams.

In a message sent to sporting governing bodies, the committee said the decision had been taken to “enhance the competitiveness” of Hong Kong athletes.
The Hong Kong committee, which is part of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), made the decision despite none of the mainland provinces having such a rule regarding their teams.
The committee said in its message to Hong Kong’s national sporting associations (NSAs): “The 15th National Games is the highest standard of competition in the country. In order to enhance Hong Kong SAR athletes’ competitiveness and to perform well in front of other Chinese athletes, the selection committee approved the amendments of the criteria.”
Asked to comment by the Post, an LCSD spokeswoman sent a written reply reiterating the message to the NSAs, but adding that the NSA’s concerns had been noted.
“We are aware of the opinions raised recently by some [NSAs] and will maintain contact with them and study the optimisation of the criteria to strike an appropriate balance between competition level and participation opportunities,” the statement read.
For a sport such as basketball, the decision means the senior men, senior women and under-18s will now not be representing Hong Kong, with the men’s under-22s being picked only because the city is hosting that event. Hong Kong will still have men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball teams, because 3x3 was not classed as a team event.
The ruling leaves volleyball and football chiefs having to choose which team to send, even though, as co-hosts alongside Macau and Guangdong, Hong Kong did not need to qualify for any events at the Games.
“What’s the purpose of having a team when we are only the ‘Hong Kong national training team’?” said Li Tsz-kwan, a member of the women’s basketball team. “It’s a rare opportunity to reach the main draw [as co-host] without needing to qualify.
“We won’t be playing internationally – we are not in every Asia Cup – and if we cannot participate in these national competitions, what else could we play? Is it even fair to the players after we have contributed so much time and we’re just told we’re out?”
Li questioned why a national competition would require teams to reach the top eight in the region to qualify.
Men’s basketball team member Marco Leung Ka-hin admitted the players were “very depressed and disappointed”, while Lee Ki, the assistant coach, believed they needed the exposure.
“We don’t play many games now, and players can only improve playing in higher-level competitions,” he said. “As a competition between the provinces and cities, I think the difference might not be as big, and we may actually get a win or two.”
The city’s volleyball chief, however, did not see any unfairness in the changes.
“This is a general direction of the policy, and it wasn’t just targeting volleyball, so there’s no unfairness in it,” said Wilfred Ng Sau-kei, who is president of the Volleyball Association of Hong Kong, China, and chairman of the government’s Major Sports Events Committee.
“Of course, it is a pity that we can’t all go to the National Games, but there are always some other competitions. We’ll make it up for the teams by sending them elsewhere.”


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Sport

Hong Kong

Football, basketball teams ruled ineligible by committee under government department, which says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’


Football, basketball teams ruled ineligible by committee under government department, which says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’.


Some Hong Kong teams denied National Games entry by selection policy ruling

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Football, basketball teams ruled ineligible by committee under government department, which says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’

Football, basketball teams ruled ineligible by committee under government department, which says it will ‘study optimisation of criteria’