National Games 2025: discussions reveal which sports may be staged in Hong Kong
- Cycling, fencing, golf, rugby, football, sailing, beach volleyball and handball emerge as likely to be held locally
- The new Kai Tak Sports Park will be the ideal venue for several, while the velodrome in Tseung Kwan O is already tried and tested
About a quarter of the sports events at the next National Games in 2025 are expected to take place in Hong Kong, as the city – jointly with Guangdong and Macau – prepares to co-host the multisport event for the first time.
The Hong Kong government has been working with the mainland and Macau authorities on allocating event locations, and it was not until last week that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department met a number of the city’s national sports associations regarding the possibility of hosting their events locally.
Eight sports were represented at that meeting: cycling, fencing, golf, rugby, football, sailing (incorporating windsurfing), beach volleyball and handball.
“The government has not promised anything yet, but we believe those at the meeting are all being seriously considered, or we wouldn’t be invited,” said an official from one of the associations.
“It is good news for our sport that we can hope to play in front of our fans in the National Games. Our medal hopes may also increase with home advantage.”
There were 34 sports at the last National Games in Shaanxi, in 2021, when Hong Kong clinched two gold and five bronze medals, with both golds coming from cycling – Sarah Lee Wai-sze’s sprint on the track and Ceci Lee Sze-wing’s individual road race.
It is unsurprising that cycling looks set to take place in Hong Kong in 2025, with a world-class velodrome available in Tseung Kwan O. The HK$600 million facility has staged several top-class competitions, including the 2017 World Championships and the World Cup series on several occasions.
“The Games organisers consider that no new facilities are required for staging events in Hong Kong, and track cycling meets the requirement with the Tseung Kwan O velodrome in place,” a cycling official said.
“Of course it will be nice if we can also have the road race and other cycling disciplines, but we know cities in the two other areas are also very keen. We’ll see.”
The Kai Tak Sports Park will open in 2024 at the latest and will be able to stage sports such as rugby and football in its 50,000-seat stadium and the likes of fencing and handball in its 10,000-seat indoor sports centre.
Fencing has become a fast-growing sport in Hong Kong in terms of spectators and participants after Cheung Ka-long won the gold medal in the men’s individual foil at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sailing is set to have only three of its classes held in Hong Kong: windsurfing, 49ers and Laser. Windsurfing can use Victoria Harbour course, like the exhibition race of the recent Hong Kong Open, so as to attract spectators. The two other disciplines would be based at the Clear Water Bay Golf and Country Club in Sai Kung.
Hong Kong boasts a number of top-quality golf courses that could be used for the National Games.
