Funding boost enables athletes to focus on competitions, say lawmakers

Lawmakers said on Saturday that a funding boost for elite athletes in Hong Kong will enable them to focus more on training and compete without financial worries.

Their comments came as funding for elite athletes in the city will increase by 8.3 per cent starting on April 1. The monthly grant for the senior squad – the entry level for full-time athletes in Hong Kong – will be raised from HK$7,130 to HK$10,000. The senior squad subsidy will also be expanded to cover athletes with disabilities.

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, also vice chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), told a radio program this morning that the adjustment reflects the government’s commitment to supporting athletes. He also welcomed the authorities' decision to match such a subsidy for athletes with disabilities.

Cheng noted that several sports, including golf and taekwondo, have been upgraded to Tier A status under the HKSI system, while some other sports have been introduced as Tier B items.

He emphasized that as emerging sports develop, they can be integrated into the HKSI framework to pursue international success.

He also highlighted collaborations between HKSI and universities to tailor academic schedules around athletes' training, with similar flexibility in secondary schools.

Promote emerging sports

Speaking on the same program, lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, also vice president of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), suggested incentivizing private sector involvement in developing emerging sports - such as breaking (breakdancing), which debuted in the 2024 Paris Olympics - through tax benefits and policy support.

Fok also revealed plans to establish an "Olympic Academy" in Hong Kong, with preliminary discussions underway to seek backing from the Chinese Olympic Committee and mainland institutions.

He said there is a need for Hong Kong to develop its own sports intellectual property (IP), including homegrown sporting leagues, positioning the city as a hub for Asia’s sports industry.