Hong Kong sports bodies face ruin if they fail to meet standards, bosses welcome direction
National Sports Association leaders spell out the importance of public funding following SF&OC governance review
Hong Kong sports bodies risk ruin if they are penalised financially for not complying with new regulations, but a number of association bosses have welcomed the code of governance issued by the city’s Sports Federation & Olympic Committee (SF&OC) this week.
Following a near-three-year review, the SF&OC have tasked 77 of Hong Kong’s National Sports Associations (NSAs) with ensuring adherence to 243 guidelines, across six categories, by the end of 2026.
“We are using public funds, so we have to be accountable,” said Tony Yue Kwok-leung, chairman of the Hong Kong, China Table Tennis Association. “We should always look for best-practice governance.”
NSAs were warned that failing to get up to speed with the requirements could result in their being stripped of public funding, a doomsday scenario for many that are heavily reliant on government money. Altogether, the 77 bodies were found to have already fully or partially implemented 58.10 per cent of the measures.
Duncan Chiu, the chairman of the Squash Association of Hong Kong, China, agreed that recipients of public money should have “restrictions and guidelines”.
