Choi said that even though the pandemic is easing, more athletes are improving and some sports are on probation despite not achieving their goals. He defended the government’s system for assessing financial needs.
“If they don’t win medals or qualify in major competitions, they will be eliminated,” Choi said. “[Whether you think it is] Whether it’s too easy or too difficult is another matter. We can refine and debate policies, but we have to say that the results are there.. If they fail to meet the benchmarks, they will bear the consequences. It’s happened before. ”
One of the questions about Hong Kong’s huge revenue from the Tokyo Olympics was how to follow suit in Paris. A gold medal for fencer Zhang Jialong and two silver medals for swimmer Siobhan Haughey were among the city’s unprecedented six medals.
Choi points out that there is a lack of consistent trends on which to base Olympic predictions. One medal in 1996, no medal in 2000, one medal in 2004, no medal in 2008, one medal in 2012, no medal in 2016, and six medals in 2021. .
“This is like education. More money doesn’t mean better results,” he said. “It depends on talent and timing.
“The sport that brings glory to Hong Kong is not just about medals, it’s about the whole package. We hope for better results, but we need to be realistic.
“Hong Kong’s results have been really great, and I think it’s outstanding for a small region. There are about 206 national Olympic committees. About 37 percent have never won a medal, and over 50 percent have never won a gold medal. I don’t think there is. We should be proud.
“Of course, I want to aim a little higher. But it’s not one plus one. It’s not, ‘What’s the budget? I want two more gold medals.’ There are no guarantees. ”
Choi believes that regularly reaching the heights of Tokyo and higher levels is not a matter of cash, but depends on the sport gaining currency in Hong Kong more broadly. He suggests that it is partly shaped by society and gives the example of Ireland.
The population of sports-rich Hong Kong is approximately 7.5 million, while the population of the entire island of Ireland is 7 million. The Republic and Northern Ireland have each reached the soccer World Cup finals, the Irish United Rugby team is ranked number one in the world, and the island has produced world-class boxers, golfers, runners and cyclists.
“We must continue to build a sports culture,” Choi said. “If you look at Ireland, they have a small population, but because of their culture… they’re doing really well. Hong Kong needs a sporting culture and that’s very important in the long term.”
He insisted that change is already occurring.
“Top athletes are top runners. Five, 10 years ago, there weren’t many fencing academies. Now there are, because… [Cheung] I won a gold medal.
“More youth development is needed to popularize sports culture and get more people to participate in elite training. Hong Kongers 20 years ago did not consider sports as a profession. Past 5 In ~8 years, that has changed a bit. We have over 500 full-time athletes.
“We have to build a foundation, a culture. When people look at athletes, they can look at sports as a career path.”
Mr. Cui also referred to the secrecy of the institute’s examination of last year’s Asian Games, stating that not all 681 athletes sent to Hangzhou fell under the HKSI system, and that the scope may be partially related. He said he is doing so.
“Our consultations are only with about 300 scholarship athletes,” he said. “I’m thinking about whether I can make some improvements, such as coaching support or overseas training.
“Over the past few Games, athlete feedback has been asking for more sports medicine support, masseuses and physiotherapists, so we’ve put more emphasis on that and coaching. Previous In the past, there was a coach for every six to eight players. Now it’s one for every four to six players.”