National Games test events to begin this month

Test events for next year's National Games will get underway in Hong Kong this month, a government official said on Wednesday. Hong Kong will co-host the Games for the first time next November, alongside Guangdong and Macau. The eight competitive events to take place in the SAR are fencing, track cycling, rugby sevens, golf, triathlon, beach volleyball, men's handball and men's under-22 basketball. Additionally, Hong Kong will help organise cross-border events, including a marathon and road cycling competition. In an exclusive interview with RTHK, the head of the National Games Coordination Office, Yeung Tak-keung, said each competitive event must have a trial six to 12 months beforehand. "For example, a test event will be held at Fanling golf course this month. Since many major tournaments have taken place there before, we’re quite familiar with the venue. However, we need to consider whether there are any differences in requirements between the Hong Kong Open and other large tournaments compared to the National Games. We’ll focus on any adjustments that need to be made during the November test event," Yeung said. A test event for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau road cycling race will be held on November 24, although Yeung said most trials will take place between January and May next year, including handball and fencing at Kai Tak Sports Park, beach volleyball at Victoria Park and the triathlon along the Central promenade. The former sports commissioner said officials will work with counterparts in Guangdong and Macau on back-up plans in case of extreme weather conditions. "The outdoor competitions will likely face a bigger impact from bad weather. For example, the triathlon involves swimming, cycling, and running, so if the weather is poor, we may need an alternative date. Also, the cross-border road bicycle race is lengthy and passes through some windy spots, so we need to think about these weather conditions and have back-up options ready," he said. In terms of the accommodation arrangements for the thousands of athletes and journalists expected to come to the SAR, Yeung said due to the Games' "simple" concept, there will not be an athletes' village. But he stressed there will be enough hotel rooms for everyone. Over 32,000 people from Hong Kong have signed up to be volunteers at the Games, far beyond the original target of 10,000. Yeung said he was surprised by the response and noted that those selected through interviews will receive training next year and will be assigned different roles, including at competition venues, hotels and border crossings.