The organiser of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong should have reached an agreement regarding overrun matches with the venue provider beforehand, according to observers.
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Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, vice-chairman of The Major Sports Events Committee, also said the incident on Tuesday in which about 100 spectators were ejected from the Kai Tak Arena midway through the tournament because transport services were ending at midnight, had tarnished the city’s reputation in hosting mega-events.
“It is, after all, one of the major competitions at the opening of Kai Tak Sports Park. That is not ideal,” he said on Thursday. “This should offer a big lesson. Damage has been done.”
Cheng urged event organisers and the venue operator to take this incident as a lesson and review the plans as the competition carries Hong Kong’s name as a brand.
Sports and tourism minister Rosanna Law Shuk-pui on Wednesday offered her apology, and ordered the event organiser and venue operator to let audiences stay until the end of matches even if they overran.
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Cheng argued the organisers should have foreseen the possibility of overruns and communicated with the venue operator beforehand to come up with a more comprehensive plan.
“If the organiser knows that the first game has lasted for a long time, should the second game still start?” Cheng added. “These plans in advance will make the game go more smoothly to a certain extent.”