Hong Kong, China, October 17, 2024: The Chief Executive of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, China, John Lee, delivered his 2024 Policy Address on October 16 in which he put forward a number of initiatives to strengthen support for sports development in Hong Kong.
The Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) welcomes these initiatives and will play an active role in facilitating the implementation of the Government policies to promote the development of sports.
The Policy Address proposed reforming the governance of national sports associations. Timothy Fok, President of SF&OC, said: “SF&OC has always been attaching importance to the governance of sports associations, including matters relating to the selection of athletes.
“We have been communicating closely with sports associations on corporate governance. SF&OC will soon publish the new Code of Governance to provide a practical and pragmatic framework for its member associations to improve their governance, create favourable conditions for the development of sports and work for the best interests of athletes.
“The Code of Governance also aims at ensuring the proper use of public funds and enhancing the credibility of the entire sports industry.”
In addition, the Policy Address suggested enhancing coach training and exploring the feasibility of introducing a standardized accreditation system for coaches.
SF&OC is pleased to see the Government supporting sports development in various aspects. Mr Fok added: “The initiatives will help enhance professionalism in sports. SF&OC will look into the matter and work towards the Government’s plan to enhance coach training, certification and continuing education.”
SF&OC supports the Policy Address proposal to establish a sports dispute resolution system. It looks forward to learning more about details of the proposed legal services and working with all stakeholders to study the feasibility of such a system.
SF&OC believes that a fair and reasonable dispute resolution system will be beneficial to hosting international sports competitions and promoting sports development in Hong Kong.
Published by: SF&OC, October 16, 2024.