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Carrie Lam policy address: Local sports will thrive in Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau shift, says Olympic Committee president Timothy Fok

  • Chief executive Carrie Lam lays out ‘reorganisation’ of local sports and culture, previously overseen by Home Affairs Bureau
  • ‘We know the bureau will be very big, but in the long run, these three intertwine’, says Timothy Fok

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Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (centre) at the welcome home ceremony for the Hong Kong delegation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: SCMP/ K.Y. Cheng

Hong Kong’s sports and cultural sector has hailed the proposed creation of a new bureau, voicing hope it will boost the city’s global reputation in such areas.

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Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor unveiled a “reorganisation” of the cultural and creative industries in her policy address on Wednesday, with sports set to be a visible pillar in its own right, under a new Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau proposed for the next administration.

The city’s historic performance at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics likely helped to fast track such plans, though Lam insisted that Hong Kong’s six-medal haul “has not come about by chance”.

The move is a welcome one for Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, Hong Kong Olympic Committee president, Hong Kong Football Association president and former Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication functional constituency representative.

“There will be dedicated people representing the sports community – everyone knows that [developing] sports culture is a part of Hong Kong’s future,” Fok said, justifying its grouping with tourism. “You see a lot of these National Sports Associations (NSA) and events like the Rugby Sevens are very international and tourism-related. Everyone is invested in sports and cultural facilities, so I hope it pushes Hong Kong more towards the international setting.”

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Hong Kong chief executive Lam speaks to media after she delivers her last policy address. Photo: Felix Wong
Hong Kong chief executive Lam speaks to media after she delivers her last policy address. Photo: Felix Wong
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