Hong Kong sports minister confident Rugby Sevens, major snooker event will go ahead; city logs 9,787 new Covid-19 cases
- Hong Kong Marathon may not take place in spite of organisers accepting an entry field of 25,000 runners, down from the 37,000 they previously wanted
- Hong Kong Open badminton tournament was cancelled and the 2023 World Dragon Boat Racing Championships may move to Thailand
The Rugby Sevens and a major snooker tournament are expected to go ahead in Hong Kong as planned, but a decision on holding the city’s biggest annual marathon will have to take into account the Covid-19 risks the event poses to the public, the sports minister has said.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Saturday said the nature of the Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament and the “closed-loop” management of Rugby Sevens players would allow lower transmission risks.
“We are still organising [the snooker and rugby events] as scheduled. Tickets are already on sale for the Hong Kong Masters in October,” he told a radio programme. “As of today, we still feel we are confident the Hong Kong Masters and the Rugby Sevens can go ahead as planned.”
Yeung said the “closed-loop” arrangement for rugby players would prevent them from venturing beyond the competition site and their accommodation, while the athletes and spectators would be kept as far apart as possible during the games.
His comments came as health authorities confirmed 9,787 new infections, of which 185 were imported, and eight more deaths. The city’s Covid-19 tally stood at 1,642,941, with 9,788 deaths.
The snooker tournament is due to be held from October 6 to 9, and the Rugby Sevens between November 4 and 6.
But Yeung said public interests would be considered in relation to hosting the Hong Kong Marathon, scheduled for November 20.
The event organisers last week said they would accept being allowed an entry field of 25,000 runners, down from the 37,000 they previously wanted.
