Hong Kong makes U-turn over rule blocking its teams from entering National Games

A Hong Kong government department has backed down on its decision to deny several of the city’s sports teams the chance to compete at the National Games, and has lowered the bar to allow more to do so.

Several of the city’s national sports associations (NSAs) had voiced concerns about the announcement of selection criteria that excluded their teams from the Games, which Hong Kong will co-host with Guangdong and Macau in November.

The city’s organising committee, under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, was behind the ruling that only sports whose teams finished in the top eight at last year’s Paris Olympics or the Asian Games in 2023 could enter multiple sides in National Games team events.

Asked to comment by the Post, the committee on Thursday acknowledged the NSAs’ concerns, with a spokeswoman saying it would “study the optimisation of the criteria”.

Hong Kong’s men’s senior basketball team (in white) may be reprieved by the U-turn. Photo: Elson Li
Hong Kong’s men’s senior basketball team (in white) may be reprieved by the U-turn. Photo: Elson Li

On Friday came a fresh twist, as it emerged that this optimisation was set to allow Hong Kong to send more teams, with the committee reportedly now requiring teams merely to have competed at the last Olympics or Asian Games.

Multiple sources confirmed to the Post the relaxing of the rules, which reportedly was communicated to the NSAs in a verbal message.

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