Hong Kong aims to win with pick for top sports job
- The city’s new commissioner for sports with his rare mix of athletic and management experience has a great deal of work ahead of him
Hard work will lie ahead for Sam Wong Tak-sum when he becomes Hong Kong’s new commissioner for sports later this month. The city has reason to look forward to an official having a rare mix of athletic and management experience.
Wong’s main responsibility will be to implement the government’s three policy objectives for sports development: promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports and promoting the city as a centre for major international sporting events. As head of the sports and recreation branch of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, he will also be in charge of developing sports and recreation facilities as well as encouraging community collaboration to foster a stronger sporting culture.
One immediate challenge will be the HK$30 billion (US$3.84 bilion) Kai Tak Sports Park. Some sports association heads have also questioned whether a former athlete is up to the task of formulating long-term policies and liaising with lawmakers, government departments as well as the education and health sectors.
But Wong’s CV should not be quickly dismissed. He represented Hong Kong in windsurfing events at the Olympic Games and at the Asian Games where he won silver medals in 1994 and 1998.
He is married to former windsurfer Lee Lai-shan, who earned the city’s first Olympic gold. He also coached windsurfing at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, and worked for a sail manufacturer in Shenzhen.
Furthermore, he served as programme manager in the Athletes’ Career and Education Programme launched by the Olympic Committee and worked with the Academy of Ice Hockey as well as the Table Tennis Association.
The 58-year-old takes over from Yeung Tak-keung, who retired last year as branch head, leaving the acting commissioner role to his assistant, Paul Cheng Ching-wan. The city should be grateful for their efforts in helping the sports community to reopen following the easing of pandemic health restrictions.
Years of disruption caused by Covid-19 have left plenty of work for Wong to do when he takes up his appointment on August 22. It is hoped that sports bodies and authorities will give Wong a sporting chance and support his role in advancing projects that benefit the whole community.
