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Dear Editor,
I am now writing to express my views on whether Hong Kong should be considered a sports desert. A sports desert can be interpreted in such aspects as citizens’ awareness of sports, related facilities as well as local athletes’ performance. Hong Kong has long been in sharp focus for its economy, but the development of sports here in town has not been discussed much. While critics insist Hong Kong is one given only a handful of globally successful local athletes, it is my firm conviction that Hong Kong is not a desert of sports.
Hong Kong can never be named a desert of sports given sports facilities are present in every district, most of which are up to the Olympic standard. As an accomplished local swimmer who has long been trained in Hong Kong, I have honed my swimming skills in pools all around Hong Kong, from the Victoria Park Swimming Pool on Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Park Swimming Pool, to the Hin Tin Swimming Pool in the New Territories. And all of which boast 50-metre pools that are up to the Olympic standard. With Olympic-size swimming pools citywide, both citizens and local athletes like myself can always be trained, or practise, regardless of for interest or nail-biting contests. With swimming pools here resembling those in the Olympics, athletes can truly familiarise themselves with the “playing field” they will be facing in international contests, while amateur players can get a real taste of what, for example, the Olympics are like. And it is not just confined to swimming: The one-and-only velodrome in Tseung Kwan O features a 250-metre track, exactly the length of one in the Olympics and the World Championships. But what about cycling devotees with no qualifications to practise in the velodrome? Not to worry, there are cycling tracks in all eighteen districts accessible to members of the public. What is more, sports centres, grounds and badminton courts are also available in all districts, allowing citizens to play sports to exercise or just for pleasure. This proves that the government, which presides over the construction of such facilities, is aware that such international-size facilities are imperative in order for sports development to burgeon here, and that sports are indispensable for HongKongers. As mentioned, sports deserts lack sports facilities, let alone those up to the international standard. But evidently, the local sports facilities illustrated above completely obliterate this.
Equally noteworthy is the promotion of sports citywide by local athletes. Since the Olympic fever took Hong Kong by storm last year, local athletes have been given countless opportunities to share more of their careers. As a local Olympian who made Hong Kongers proud by winning two medals in the Tokyo Olympics last year, I have since been invited by such schools as the Diocesan Boys’ and Girls Schools to deliver talks to students. That was where I introduced to students my eight-year career, how I feverishly prepared for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the pandemic took a few swipes at Hong Kong, the benefits of sports and the sense of achievement I have enjoyed thanks to sports. In addition, I have also been asked to coach a group of elite local high school swimmers, as well as advise the government on sports affairs. All this makes for indisputable proof that sports are alive and kicking in Hong Kong, as schools are eager to preach the upsides to sports to nurture aspiring athletes, as is the government, which has long touted the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s sports programmes. All these are effective in raising citizens’ awareness of sports as they gradually wipe out their misconceptions about sports, and learn to make the most of all sports.
On the opposing corner, sceptics are lashing back, asserting only a handful of local athletes are sparkling in the international arena, and with that Hong Kong is undoubtedly a desert of sports. In certain aspects, it is rightly illustrated: Representing Hong Kong are Edgar Cheung, myself, the badminton star Ng Ka-Long, and who else? Whereas, on the American front: Tennis star Naomi Osaka, Lebron James, the late Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, and not to mention, the larger-than-life Michael Phelps, and so forth. Still, do not forget Hong Kong’s status as only a tiny city on the massive world map, which brings us to the next point: Hong Kong athletes being successful globally is a massive achievement compared with those hailing from other countries. In the Tokyo Olympics, Edgar Cheung indeed eliminated his counterpart from Italy, a much larger place compared with tiny Hong Kong. It was already one magnificent milestone given an athlete from a much smaller place with less resources defeated one from a bigger country with much more resources and backing. Such a spectacular victory is more than enough to highlight even with fewer resources, Hong Kong can still nurture sports talents with untapped potential just as well as, or even better than, more affluent and sports-predominant nations do. Also solidifying the argument is that our athletes excel in different fields: Ng Ka-long is known for his expertise in badminton; Ng On-yee in snooker; Myself in swimming, and of course Edgar in fencing. This strongly proves Hong Kong’s sports development is multi-pronged, instead of focusing on just one sport and leaving the others aside. With that, in terms of athletes’ performance, Hong Kong cannot possibly be termed a sports desert.
The accessibility of various sports facilities to all, the superb promotion of sports by local athletes around town as well as our sports stars’ stellar performance despite ferocious rivalry on the world stage are all irrefutable proof that Hong Kong stands, not as a desert, but a paradise for sports.
Yours faithfully,
Siobhan Bernadette Haughey
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