AusLeisure

Hong Kong and Macau have been chosen to co-host China’s 15th National Games in 2025, alongside Guangdong, the first time the two administrative regions will stage a major national sporting event.

Held every four years, the announcement has been welcomed by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who said the city’s new Kai Tak Sports Park will play a key role in the Games.

Lam stated “for Hong Kong to host the 15th National Games in 2025 together with Guangdong and Macao is a significant move that will promote Hong Kong’s sports development, after the city has achieved its best results in history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“I, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), am grateful for the trust and support of the Central Government.

“Hosting the National Games jointly by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao is very meaningful and is in line with the goal of building a bay area for leisure and shaping a healthy bay area as presented in the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”

Advising that the Kai Tak Sports Park, which will comprise a main stadium accommodating 50,000 spectators, a 10,000-seat indoor sports centre and a 5,000-seat public sports ground, will be commissioned in 2023, Lam added “together with the Hong Kong Velodrome, where many international competitions have been held, and other sports facilities, the foundation is in place for Hong Kong to take part in the hosting of the 15th National Games.

“The HKSAR Government will spare no effort to work closely with the relevant ministries of the Central Government, Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government on preparatory work and follow the Central Authorities’ requirement of ‘simple, safe and wonderful’ in conducting the Games.”

Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, Vice-President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, told the South China Morning Post newspaper that the 2025 Games would help promote closer communications between sports bodies in the three hosts and help integrate transport systems and customs arrangements.

The National Games are held every four years with the most recent edition having been held in Tianjin and Luoyang in 2017 while this year’s Games are due to take place throughout Shaanxi Province from 15th to 27th September.

The announcement of the hosting rights for 2025 follows China’s Government moving to strengthen its control over Hong Kong after the long-running anti-government protests in 2019, with authorities attempting to instil a greater sense of national identity.

Images: Concepts for the Kai Tak Sports Park, designed by Populous and which will be operated by ASM Global. Credit: Kai Tak Sports Park Limited and Populous.

Related Articles

16th August 2021 - Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre successfully hosts five concurrent trade shows

10th August 2021 - Record figures during Tokyo Games highlights global reach of athletics

9th July 2021 - Pandemic sees Vietnam’s SEA Games postponed until 2022

1st June 2021 - ASM Global recruits for key positions at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports park

29th May 2021 - Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena hosts biggest rock concert in China since the beginning of 2020

15th April 2021 - Asian Electronic Sports Federation welcomes approval for esports’ medal inclusion at 2022 Asian Games

26th March 2021 - Gay Games 11 Hong Kong 2022 announces Marriott Bonvoy and YouTube as Platinum Sponsors

9th February 2021 - Special Olympics World Winter Games Kazan 2022 reveals event logo

8th February 2021 - IOC President says Beijing 2022 will ‘transform winter sports’

5th February 2021 - New Kai Tak Sports Park partnership aims to drive smart construction benchmarks

28th January 2021 - Chinese officials confident of completing preparations for a successful Beijing Winter Olympics

31st December 2020 - Olympic Council of Asia announces second postponement of 6th Asian Beach Games

22nd December 2020 - Latest renderings released of Populous designed Hong Kong Kai Tak Sports Park

16th December 2020 - Olympic Council of Asia awards Asian Games hosting to Doha in 2030 and Riyadh in 2034

11th December 2020 - World Athletics announces second postponement of Nanjing’s World Athletics Indoor Championships

17th April 2020 - Construction starts on new Guangzhou stadium

5th May 2019 - Populous sees Kai Tak Sports Park plan as setting a new multipurpose sport precinct benchmark

30th September 2017 - Macau sets out plans to become the ‘World Centre of Tourism and Leisure’

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.