Greater ambition: how Hong Kong and bay area neighbours could host Asian Games, Olympics
The cooperation showcased by the co-hosted National Games has further fuelled calls to launch a bid to welcome the world
Wheels were turning in more ways than one at a packed Hong Kong Velodrome last month when cyclist Ceci Lee Sze-wing rode to her third gold medal of the 15th National Games.
Roared on by home spectators, it symbolised the successful realisation of the decision for the city to co-host the Games alongside Guangdong and Macau, its partners under the Greater Bay Area development plan.
It created a scene officials hope to see replicated on an even bigger scale: historic achievements in front of passionate sold-out crowds at world-class venues, projecting the bay area’s capabilities and advantages to the world.
The multi-sport Games required cross-border cooperation on infrastructure, logistics, security, manpower and commerce, and may prove to be a precursor. A working group of business leaders and sports officials has been building support behind the scenes for the region to host an Olympics, Asian Games or other major sporting event.
Bach to the future
Thomas Bach, the honorary life president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), visited Hong Kong during the National Games and when asked about a potential bid, told the region to “go for it”, adding he believed it had “all the ingredients” to stage a global version and it “could be a very important candidate” for future Olympics.