HK$100,000 Covid-19 subsidy is not enough, snooker clubs say – ‘ask landlords to lower or delay rents to help us survive’
- This will be the third time clubs receive a subsidy amid the pandemic but Hong Kong’s governing body says they would rather reopen for business
- Former club owner Chan Kwok-ming says they pay an average HK$200,000 a month for the rent and the sector is struggling to stay alive
Snooker clubs will receive another one-off payment of HK$100,000 as the government rolls out its fourth round of Covid-19 relief subsidies – but the clubs would much rather reopen for business.
This is the third time clubs are receiving financial help since the coronavirus outbreak early in 2020, with a total of HK$250,000 handed out to each club to compensate for the closures.
However, the governing body for snooker in Hong Kong says the amount offers only token support to clubs given their overheads.
“The amount is not even enough for many clubs to pay their rent for this month, let alone the staff salaries and many other costs involved in running a centre,” said Lena Lee, spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council. “The entire business is suffering, not only the club owners but also many of our junior athletes who rely on private clubs for their training programmes.
“They have never found any [Covid-19] cases in snooker clubs but the clubs are always the first ones to be closed when there is a fresh surge in cases. All snooker tables are separated from each other and even the players are separated from each other with minimum contact when playing.
