Cash in on Hong Kong athletes’ star power to help develop sports sector, industry chief says

Hong Kong Sports Institute’s chief executive also says government subsidies for athletes should not be seen as salaries, amid livelihood concerns

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Patrons at APM shopping centre take pictures with cardboard figures of Olympic medallists Cheung Ka-long and Siobhan Haughey. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 3:46pm, 17 Aug 2024Updated: 9:50pm, 17 Aug 2024

The head of a Hong Kong sports body has encouraged businesses to cash in on athletes’ star power to help develop the sector amid concerns that current subsidies remain too low to retain promising talent.

Tony Choi Yuk-kwan, chief executive of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), said on Saturday that government subsidies for athletes should not be viewed as salaries and that commercial sponsorships would help to develop the sector.

“Sports are similar to performing arts. When you look at sports stars such as Cheung Ka-long and Siobhan Haughey, the more people recognise them, the happier they are,” he told a radio programme.

“The people will cheer for them and give them applause, providing a driving force for their pursuits … having sports celebrities can drive the development of the whole industry and we now see a proliferation of fencing schools.”

Choi also dismissed fears that athletes could spend too much time on celebrity endorsements instead of training and argued they would be guided by their coaches on how to best manage their time.

Discussions about financing athletes have started up again after fencers Cheung and Vivian Kong Man-wai took home gold and swimmer Siobhan Haughey won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics.