On Your Marks
I hope I’m not upsetting anyone’s plans for a relaxing summer, but I think the Hong Kong administration should now be urgently planning for a bid to host the 2036 summer Olympics. We can do it, the Greater Bay Area needs it, and competitors are already lining up.
The Games have been held 20 times since they resumed after World War Two, The location of the next two, in 2028 and 2032, has already been determined. The identity of the host city (the games are awarded to a municipality rather than a country) is a fair reflection of interest in sport and financial capacity. Of the 22 held or committed, Europe (including Russia) has hosted nine, North America five, Asia four, Australia three and South America just one. Notable for their absence are the subcontinent of India, and the whole of Africa the latter in particular affected by resource constraints.
Cities known to be interested in bidding for 2036 include Ahmedabad (India), Nusantara (new capital of Indonesia), Doha (Qatar), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Istanbul (Turkey). There is also speculation other bids may come in from Santiago (Chile), Cairo (Egypt), Berlin (Germany) and Seoul (South Korea). All of these places have their strengths and weaknesses, including financial capacity, climate suitability and organisational ability. An established track record should also be an important factor.
Taking into account population size, interest in sport including results at past Olympics, and organisational capability, the 2036 Games should be held in Asia, and China has a very strong claim.
The obvious question then becomes which city in our country should take the lead. Some countries make a habit of steering everything to the capital, for example UK (both Games held in London) Japan (both in Tokyo) and South Korea (held once in Seoul, same city contemplating new bid). But Beijing takes a broader view of the need to spread benefits around the country in the name of common prosperity. On this basis, the two leading contenders would be ourselves and our perennial rival, Shanghai. The eastern powerhouse is a strong competitor but with the support of other cities in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong has a reasonable shot.
By happy chance, though perhaps not altogether by coincidence, the 15 th National Games of China will be held in November this year. By the decision of the State Council, Hong Kong is taking part for the first time and is co-hosting together with our sister SAR Macau and Guangdong Province. It has been estimated that over 36,000 athletes will take part and the events will attract many thousands of spectators, including over 100,000 in our city alone.
Altogether there will be 34 competitive sports plus some demonstration ones. In addition to the main games themselves there will be a separate series for disabled athletes and another for those with intellectual disabilities.
The sheer scale and comprehensiveness of the National Games make this the nearest equivalent to an actual Olympics.
So why should we do it? I can think of several reasons off the top of my head. First up, in the ongoing geopolitical struggle for influence, China generally and Hong Kong in particular have been subject to a steady battering in the international media to drag down our reputation. To hear them speak, we live constantly on the verge of complete collapse both economically and institutionally. A successful international sporting event on global scale would be the perfect answer to the doom mongers.
Second, I think it is fair to say the expression “Greater Bay Area”, like its predecessor Pearl River Delta, has been slow to catch fire in international business circles. It appears in all our marketing material and is repeated in all major speeches, but outside the government’s own PR bubble it has not really resonated. A successful Olympics under its banner is the perfect opportunity to ignite the booster stage of the rocket.
Finally, we want as many people as possible to see Hong Kong and its immediate hinterland, preferably on an actual visit or at the very least by the wall-to-wall television coverage the event is sure to attract. I have said many times before in this column and elsewhere that Hong Kong is its own best advertisement. Bring people from all over the world here to see for themselves.
There is no time to lose. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu should immediately nominate a bid preparation team to open discussions with the central government and other relevant parties. We should not be wasting the opportunity that November brings.
There is one other aspect I need to cover for the sake of completeness, and that is politics. In an ideal world the IOC decision on 2036 would be made on its sporting and other merits. Unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world. Based on recent conduct the United States and its vassal states may seek to block any bid from China and instead push for an alternative like the Indian bid (thereby showing support for its Quad partner). China may also want to support another bidder for diplomatic reasons, such as Indonesia bearing in mind it is the world’s largest Muslim country and a member of ASEAN. Another possibility is a three-way agreement whereby India, Indonesia and the Greater Bay Area are agreed as the hosts for 2036, 2040 and 2044 in whatever order. Such an arrangement certainly has its attractions.
Politics at this exalted level are for Beijing, not us. Our job is to give the central government the strongest possible card to play when the negotiations start. And that means crafting a humdinger of a Hong Kong bid for 2036. Over to you Mr Lee.