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Hong Kong Golf Association warns building public housing on part of city’s oldest course will ‘suffocate’ future of sport
- Sports body’s chief executive officer says athletes have made great strides in tournaments because ‘they have had spaces for training’
- Environmental authorities on Thursday approved controversial public housing plan using land in Fanling leased by Hong Kong Golf Club
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The Hong Kong Golf Association has warned that reclaiming part of the city’s oldest course to build public housing will undermine the future of the sport, a day after environmental authorities approved a controversial development plan for the site.
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The government’s decision would “suffocate” the development of the sport and severely undermine professional golfers’ training, Danny Lai Yee-june, the organisation’s chief executive officer, on Friday said.
“In recent years, our athletes have entered the harvest season, with many getting good results in tournaments because they have had spaces for training,” he said.
Lai cited the success of Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching, who became the city’s first Olympian for golf in 2016 and competed in two games, and Taichi Kho, who made history as Hong Kong’s first winner of the World City Championship and could take part in the Open Championship.
“But where can they continue to practise after [part of] the golf course is taken back?” he asked.
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