The SAR's squash association on Thursday urged the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) of Hong Kong, China to provide flexibility for the sector over the introduction of a code of practice. The SF&OC on Wednesday held a briefing for its member associations about the new code, which provides guidelines on corporate governance. It states that the term of office for directors of the associations should have a maximum length and recommends they stay for 16 years at most, along with an age limit of 75. Duncan Chiu, chairman of the Squash Association of Hong Kong, China, welcomed the introduction of the code but said he hopes compromises can be made. "There are not too many people participating in squash activities, and our committee consists of about 20 people. It's not easy to find people who can constantly help us...We hope they can provide some flexibility on this," he told an RTHK radio programme. The code also states that sports associations should establish a fair and transparent mechanism for the selection of athletes, to ensure equal opportunities for all those qualified. Chiu said his association would follow all the procedures, but he hopes people understand that different sports have different selection criteria. "For running or swimming, it's easier because the standard is based on the time for finishing the race. But it may be more subjective for team sports, like football and basketball, the team chemistry among players is important too. So there are more criteria when selecting athletes," he said. New People's Party lawmaker Adrian Ho told the same programme that at next year's National Games, people will be able to see whether sports associations are being fair and transparent when selecting players. The SF&OC will review the implementation of the code after two years, and any sports associations that fail to follow it will face penalties including cuts to government subsidies.
