National Games athletes honored at commendation ceremony

To commend Hong Kong athletes who achieved outstanding results at the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD), and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), the government yesterday held a commendation ceremony at the Ma On Shan Sports Centre.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the remarkable results at the Games not only reflected the athletes’ strenuous training and enhancement of Hong Kong’s sports prowess, but also confirmed the government’s long-standing commitment to training elite athletes and strengthening sports development policies is on the right direction.

Lee noted that the quadrennial National Games are the country’s highest-level and largest national multi-sport event, gathering top athletes nationwide.

This year’s NG and the NGD & NSOG were co-hosted for the first time by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, fully demonstrating the country’s firm support for the coordinated development of the Greater Bay Area. It also marked Hong Kong’s integration into the national development agenda, carrying great significance and far-reaching impact.

Hong Kong sent more than 1,300 athletes to compete in 28 competition events and 23 mass participation events at the National Games, and over 280 athletes to take part in 14 competition events, four mass participation events of the NGD, and seven events of the NSOG – the largest scale ever.

Hong Kong athletes lived up to expectations, achieving historic success: they won 12 gold, 8 silver, and 11 bronze medals – 31 in total – and reached the top eight in 19 events at the National Games. At the NGD and the NSOG, Hong Kong athletes won 52 gold, 50 silver, and 40 bronze medals, totaling 142.

Lee emphasized that the government attaches great importance to sports, consistently investing substantial resources along five directions: promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports, promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism and developing sports as an industry.

In this fiscal year, the budget for sports development exceeds HK$9.2 billion, more than double the HK$4.3 billion of 10 years ago. The athletes’ remarkable achievements reflect the enhancement of Hong Kong’s sporting strength. Hong Kong will continue to actively leverage its unique advantages under “One Country, Two Systems” to promote sports integration in the Greater Bay Area.

Lee presented commendation awards to gold medalists, including “Little Cycling Goddess” Ceci Lee Sze-wing and fellow cyclist Leung Wing-yee, Hong Kong’s “Flying Fish” Siobhan Haughey, fencing champions Edgar Cheung Ka-long, Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Leung Chin-yu, and Lawrence Ng Lok-wang in the men’s foil team event, as well as the Hong Kong men’s rugby sevens team, which won the city’s first National Games rugby sevens gold medal and “Butterfly Queen” swimmer Chan Yui-lam.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism and head of the delegations Rosanna Law Shuk-pui presented commendation awards to silver and bronze medalists, including fencer Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, swimmer Adam Mak Sai-ting, and boccia athlete Ho Yuen-kei, among others.

At the ceremony, taekwondo athletes Ben Ho and Lee Pak-shun gave demonstration performances, while fencer Ryan Choi sang the pop song “A Pair of Hands,” lifting the atmosphere to a climax.