Under pressure but pressing on

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Hong Kong’s tourism minister has defended low ticket sales for the National Games events in the city, saying current sales – around 30 per cent – are on par with those of previous games.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said in an interview with TVB, aired on Sunday, that the atmosphere surrounding the National Games was “good,” with awareness increasing thanks to media reports.

Hong Kong is hosting eight sports, including beach volleyball, fencing, Rugby Sevens, and the triathlon.

So far, ticket sales for events in the city stood at around 30 per cent, Law said.

She added that most of the unsold tickets were for preliminary rounds, and that many finals tickets had already been sold out.

“We also understand more people would take time out to attend weekend games,” Law said in Cantonese. “For [matches on] the weekdays, people need to go to school and go to work, [so] they would have to think twice.”

Ticket sales at this stage are similar to previous National Games, she said. For the unsold tickets, the government would distribute them to schools and sports-related organisations, she added.

The 2025 National Games will officially begin on Sunday and end on November 21, but some preliminary games have already started.

In Hong Kong, beach volleyball matches kicked off at Victoria Park on Friday, while men’s handball began at Kai Tak Sports Park on Saturday.

Hong Kong delegation

Held every four years, the National Games are China’s top-level sports event, attracting athletes from across China’s provinces, Hong Kong and Macau.

This year’s National Games, featuring 34 sports, mark the first time that Hong Kong and Macau are co-hosting the event.

The torch relay for the games was held on Sunday, concurrently with relays in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Macau. Torchbearers followed a 10-kilometre route, passing landmarks along Victoria Harbour including Tamar Park, the Golden Bauhinia Square and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Law said she estimated that the National Games would draw around 100,000 visitors to the city, including fans who plan to come to Hong Kong to cheer on their favourite athletes.

“I believe visitors will make up a substantial proportion of spectators,” she added.

A total of 602 Hong Kong athletes are competing in the National Games. They will represent the city in 28 sports, including football, gymnastics, handball, archery, and sport climbing.

On Wednesday, Hong Kong sailor Nicholas Halliday clinched the city’s first medal after winning gold in the men’s single-handed dinghy event in Shanwei, Guangdong province.