Weightlifting chief 'slips' onstage

It's a safe bet nobody wants to be in the shoes of Hong Kong Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association chairwoman Josephine Ip Wing-yuk these days.

And it's because of something more weighty than pumping iron.

Some are accusing Ip of secession after she called Hong Kong a "small country" yesterday, a day after the domestic security law came into force.

Speaking at the Weightlifting Invitations 2024, Ip, pictured, said it was the first weightlifting competition held after the pandemic.

"The Hong Kong Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association was established in the 1980s with four decades of history but later bodybuilding left the association and only weightlifting and powerlifting remained," Ip said.

Nothing wrong there. But then, uh-oh.

"This arrangement was recognized by the International Weightlifting and Powerlifting Federation as well as the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong. It's also common in smaller countries, including Hong Kong and Australia."

For sure, there were some audible gasps in the crowd.

Commenting on it later, New People's Party lawmaker Adrian Ho King-hong said it is "utterly unacceptable" for Ip to declare "Hong Kong's independence," and demanded the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee to suspend the association's membership for further investigation.

If it were a slip of the tongue, well, we'll have to wait and see what happens next.