The coming National Games have offered former Hong Kong athletes an opportunity to unite and represent the city once more in mass participation events, with some expressing hope that the government will boost public support for sports.
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Three participants, now serving in the police force, have said the national event reignited their passion for sports, adding that they hoped public engagement in the city could be broadened from watching matches to supporting athletes beyond elite categories.
“I felt I was truly an athlete, that I’ve picked up that state of mind again,” said senior inspector Claudia Ching Sze-kei, who represented Hong Kong in light volleyball at the National Games’ mass participation events.
“The last time I felt such wholehearted commitment was when I was in university.”
Ching was among about 760 athletes selected to represent Hong Kong in the mass participation events, which are competitions designed for non-professional athletes across 19 sports, mostly held before the official tournaments kick off in November.
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The 19 sports events included dragon boat, football, karate and badminton. The athletes were selected in Hong Kong through rounds of matches organised by relevant national sports associations. The Hong Kong delegations were granted direct entry to the national finals.