HK athletes aim high at 14th National Games

Hong Kong athletes are attempting to repeat their city's outstanding performance at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics as they compete at the 14th National Games, which kicked off in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Wednesday.

Held every four years, the National Games are the highest-level sporting event in the country, with elite athletes gathering from China's provinces, provincial-level municipalities, autonomous regions and special administrative regions. The event will air on RTHK until the event closes on Sept 27.

This year, Hong Kong sent 169 athletes to vie in 18 final competitions: archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, canoeing (sprint), cycling (road race, track and mountain bike), equestrian (jumping), fencing, golf, gymnastics (rhythmic gymnastics), table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball (beach volleyball), baseball/softball (baseball), karatedo, sport climbing and wushu (taolu and sanda).

Hong Kong athletes have already won one gold and two bronzes at the National Games, as some events took place before the opening ceremony.

Star cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze clinched the city's first gold medal in this year's National Games by winning the Women's Sprint (Track Cycling) Event on Monday and one bronze in the Women's Keirin (Track Cycling) Event the next day, while Leung Ka-yu bagged a bronze medal in the Men's Omnium (Track Cycling) Event on Sep 12.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday said that she has confidence in the Hong Kong athletes, especially the younger ones, who are at the event, although a number of Tokyo Olympics medalists are not at the National Games for various reasons.

"We have high expectations of the Hong Kong athletes. We hope that they will do well," Lam said.