Over the past few weeks our Hong Kong, China athletes have created an excited buzz around the city with their record haul of medals at the 19^th Asian Games in Hangzhou.  We have seen repeatedly that sport has a unique power to bring a sense of unity and pride to societies, creating a ‘feel good factor’ which also brings with it social and economic benefits, and we can be sure that the Chief Executive will pay tribute to this sporting success story in his upcoming Policy Address.

At Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) we were of course immensely proud of the achievements of our Men’s and Women’s teams who took Gold and Bronze respectively in the Rugby Sevens event.  In the same week we also learnt that representatives of both our domestic helper and deaf rugby teams had been nominated for the SCMP “Spirit of Hong Kong Awards”, and this is a timely reminder of the wider positive impact the sports sector can have across the community.

Both these programmes are examples of the role sport can play in promoting social cohesion, and our Rugby for Good Foundation has a number of initiatives addressing this critical issue, bringing together youngsters from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and ethnic minority students and fostering friendship and understanding through play-based learning.  Another well established local charity, Operation Breakthrough, has for more than 20 years used various sports to reach out to at-risk youngsters and help build bridges between them and volunteer police officers, and Rugby for Good coaches have run several courses in both Cape Collinson and Pik Uk Correctional Institutions with the support of the Correctional Services Department.

Youth mental health is another area of concern, with recent studies revealing that half of Hong Kong’s adolescents showed signs of depression and 40 per cent of students rating their stress levels as high. Laureus Sport for Good Foundation brought their Model City initiative to Hong Kong in 2021, a collaborative platform bringing together local NGOs who endeavour to use sport as a medium to improve the overall mental health and well-being of young people.

With the much anticipated completion of the Kai Tak Sports Park just around the corner which will bring with it a whole new world of opportunity, the Government has made a commitment to support the enhancement of professionalism in the sports sector and the promotion of sports as an industry.  We have seen first hand the positive impact events like the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens have had on our local economy, with a SCMP article in 2018 noting that a typical overseas fan coming to the Sevens stays in Hong Kong for an average of 8 days and spends around HK$19,000, adding up to a total tourism spend in the city of around HK$380 million. 

We will continue our own efforts to deepen the sector talent pool, which include providing 9 paid apprentice positions each year to youngsters from Operation Breakthrough and ethnic minority backgrounds, and starting in 2024 we will partner with the University of Sunderland to launch our own Higher National Diploma course in Sport. 

So, let us raise a glass to our wonderful athletes and toast their incredible achievements, and also hope that their efforts will help remind us all of the broader benefits that sport can bring to our city.