HK to host dozen events of 2025 National Games

James Lee

Eight sports competitions and four or five mass participation events are set to be staged in Hong Kong during the 15th National Games in 2025.

The Guangdong Sports Bureau had earlier endorsed the proposal to hold the events in Hong Kong, a plan that now needs approval from the games' organizer, the General Administration of Sport of China.

The list of events to be held here has yet to be confirmed, according to a legislative paper on the National Games, though the intention is to have Kai Tak Sports Park, now under construction and slated for completion next year, as the main arena for events.

Hong Kong, along with Guangdong province and Macau, is co-hosting the 2025 Games. It is understood that the GASC indicated earlier it would offer the two SARs priority in choosing the events they wanted to host.

Indications are that Hong Kong will host fencing, sailing, track cycling, football, golf, rugby sevens, beach volleyball and handball while mass participation events take in dragon boat racing, basketball, Chinese chess and roller sports.

Over 3,200 athletes and officials - 1,800 for the competitions and 1,400 for the mass events - are expected to take part, based on figures from the National Games held in 2021.

The legislative paper states that the competitions will be "of profound significance for Hong Kong" as "co-hosting such high-level events will certainly give a boost to sports development."

Engagement activities and volunteering programs to ensure the Games run smoothly will also be "conducive to youth development and social cohesion," the briefing paper adds.

And during preparations for the Games there will be "ample working exchanges" between officials and sports associations, thus promoting Hong Kong's closer collaboration with Guangdong and Macau authorities.

Hiring a head, a deputy and an assistant head of the National Games Coordination Office will incur annual average staff costs including salaries, benefits and taxes of a figure in the region of HK$8.4 million.

The total annual average staff cost amounts to some HK$34.6 million.

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com