Hong Kong’s athletic delegation achieved unprecedented success at the recent National Games, concluding November 21st, securing a historic haul of 19 medals—nine gold, two silver, and eight bronze. This monumental performance marks a significant shift for the city-state’s sporting capabilities and validates years of investment, according to sports officials.
Timothy Fok, President of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), lauded the results as “beyond expectations” during an interview on the television program ’Pillow Talk’. He noted the dramatic increase compared to previous iterations of the quadrennial event, where the team typically secured no more than two gold medals per Games. Fok indicated that Hong Kong’s elite athletes are now competing on near-equal footing with mainland provincial teams.
Historic Performance Signals Rising Competitiveness
The record medal tally underscores a substantial breakthrough across multiple disciplines. While acknowledging standout performances in fencing and swimming, Fok emphasized that several events, including windsurfing, delivered exceptional results. He characterized the overall competitive environment as highly intense, noting that in the cycling omnium, for example, the victory margin was a razor-thin single point.
“This time around, it was a 50/50 contest in many events,” Fok stated, noting the fierce competition demonstrates the depth of talent across the national stage. He praised the athletes for embodying the “indomitable Hong Kong spirit.”
Beyond the medals, Fok highlighted other metrics of improvement: the team secured multiple fourth-place finishes, and over 40 events saw Hong Kong athletes placing within the top five to eight positions. These placements reflect significant progress in a competition that Fok described as having standards that, in some categories, exceed those of the Olympic Games. The emergence of promising young athletes, including a rising star in épée fencing and cyclist Lee Sze-wing, a triple-gold winner, signals a strong future pipeline.
Mainland Training Partnerships Drive Success
Fok attributed the surge in performance to a sustained and systematic effort across Hong Kong’s sports ecosystem. He pointed to increased funding from the Special Administrative Region government, formalized youth training development programs via sports associations, robust athletic culture in schools, and continued support from partners like The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
A critical factor, he explained, has been the deepening collaboration with mainland training facilities. Examples include the triathlon team’s altitude training in Yuxi, Yunnan, specialized intensive exchanges between the fencing team and the Guangdong squad, and access to top-tier resources for disciplines like table tennis.
Although not providing specific figures, Fok confirmed that the frequency of athletes traveling to the mainland for training has visibly increased, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement. He noted that the lower costs and superior resources available through national support translate into a “multiplier effect” for Hong Kong’s development efforts. Coaches, however, retain the autonomy to decide on training locations based on the specific needs of each sport.
Greater Bay Area Poses Viable Olympic Candidate
Looking ahead, Fok addressed the possibility of Hong Kong hosting major international sporting events, potentially even the Asian Games or the Olympics. While he acknowledged that hosting the Olympics as a single city would be challenging, he suggested the successful staging of the recent National Games serves as a “touchstone” provided by the central government.
Fok assessed that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) now possesses the proven capability to jointly bid for and host high-level, comprehensive sporting spectacles like the Olympics. He argued that the experience accumulated during the National Games, whose scale mirrors that of the Asian Games and the Olympics, has matured the region’s overall hosting capacity. He stressed, however, that any Olympic bid would require the full backing of the central government.
Fok also highlighted the multifaceted benefits of hosting apex events, including boosting sports tourism, fostering brand recognition, and strengthening social cohesion.
Finally, Fok revealed significant growth in the city’s talent pool. Compared to roughly 300 full-time athletes eight to nine years ago, the figure now exceeds 750, with the total number of elite athletes expanding to around 1,700. This rapid expansion and the institute’s “dual-track development” strategy—which supports athletes pursuing education and career planning alongside training—have helped positively reshape the public perception of professional sports in Hong Kong.
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