Local swim chief welcomes setting up of sports arbitration body

Hong Kong’s Swimming Association chairman Ronnie Wong Man-chiu said on Tuesday he welcomed the Justice Department's plan to set up a pilot scheme for a sports dispute resolution system, describing the move as “one that will save clubs time and money.”

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu floated the idea in his recent policy address, saying that the SAR will explore the creation of a fair and efficient sports dispute resolution system and actively promote sports arbitration to capitalize on Hong Kong's institutional advantages.

Wong said today that the arbitrators of the new body should be experienced and meet certain criteria.

"First, they shouldn't have any conflict of interest with the cases that they're dealing with. Second, they must have experience in handling disputes related to the particular sports involved," Wong told a radio program this morning.

He also said that it would be best for the arbitrators to understand the sports.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Law Society president Roden Tong Man-lung told the same program that sports arbitration is relatively common in overseas countries and can cover issues such as athletes' contract terms, salaries, transfers, or even disputes over match results.

He also noted that issues such as decisions made by game referees, interpretations of game rules, controversies related to doping, and broadcasting rights in sports events, all of which can be resolved through sports arbitration.