Greater Bay Area key for Hong Kong sporting events, could see city host Asian Games
Speaking at the Hong Kong Sports Economy and Tourism Summit, industry experts stressed collaboration with the GBA is one piece of the puzzle
The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is the future of sports events in Hong Kong, and collaboration with mainland cities could even break down barriers that had previously stopped the city from hosting the Asian Games, experts have said.
Speaking at the Hong Kong Sports Economy and Tourism Summit, hosted by the South China Morning Post, industry experts stressed that collaboration with the GBA is one piece of the puzzle as the city looks to dive deeper into the sports economy.
However, cross-border collaboration for sports events with the GBA – an area in southern China consisting of nine cities in Guangdong province plus Hong Kong and Macau – comes with difficulties.
“I think it’s great if we can tap the system of the GBA because we are talking about different currencies, different legal systems,” said Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, vice-president of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee (SF&OC). “But in terms of sports, I think the challenges are great.”
Fok referenced issues such as visas for athletes travelling between Hong Kong and the mainland, as well as broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals, which would all need to be negotiated.
Fok added that he was “optimistic” that these obstacles could be overcome, paving the way for the region to potentially host the biggest sporting events in the world.
