HK to co-host 2025 National Games with Guangdong, Macao

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will co-host the 15th National Games in 2025 with Guangdong province and the Macao SAR, the State Council said Thursday.

The Council said it approved the request made by Guangdong and the two SARs to jointly host the country's premier multi-sport event, which is held every four years.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in a statement that she welcomed the agreement of the State Council for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to host the Games.

"For Hong Kong to host the 15th National Games in 2025 together with Guangdong and Macao is a significant move that will promote Hong Kong's sports development, after the city has achieved its best results in history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, am grateful for the trust and support of the central government," Lam said.

"Hosting the National Games jointly by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao is very meaningful and is in line with the goal of building a bay area for leisure and shaping a healthy bay area as presented in the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," she added.

Lam said the Kai Tak Sports Park, which will comprise a main stadium accommodating 50,000 spectators, a 10,000-seat indoor sports centre and a 5,000-seat public sports ground, will be commissioned in 2023.

Together with the Hong Kong Velodrome, where many international competitions have been held, and other sports facilities, the foundation is in place for Hong Kong to take part in the hosting of the 15th National Games, Lam said.

"The HKSAR government will spare no effort to work closely with the relevant ministries of the central government, Guangdong province and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government on preparatory work and follow the central authorities' requirement of 'simple, safe and wonderful' in conducting the Games," she added.

The State Council said Guangdong and the two SARs shall jointly raise funds for the event while the central government will provide a one-off subsidy.

Since it started in 1959, the National Games of China has been held 13 times. Guangdong already hosted it twice but Hong Kong and Macao have yet to stage the event. The 14th National Games will be held in Shaanxi province from Sept 15 to 27.

The State Council also required the country's top sports regulator, the General Administration of Sport, and the three hosts to manage the budget by making full use of existing venues and facilities and controlling the Games' scale while implementing strict policies to control the COVID-19 pandemic.