Hong Kong gov't to look into inaccurate flag design used at rope-skipping competition in Japan
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) said that it would look into the issue with the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association, China, after a resident reported the discrepancy to various government departments and the media, including photos and screenshots of the award ceremony.
The Hong Kong flag depicts a white five-petalled bauhinia flower on a red background. Specifications for the Hong Kong flag are listed on the government's Protocol Division website.
The official design, compared with the one used in the award ceremonies at the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships over the weekend, has petals that taper off more prominently into a point. Slightly more space is left between petals, and the stars are also larger.
The rope-skipping association, the unofficial body representing the city's rope-skipping athletes, said in an emailed reply to HKFP on Tuesday that it 'has always strictly complied with the guidelines provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department regarding the use of the regional flag and national anthem at overseas competitions.'
It added: 'For the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships, we have once again followed all official procedures, including downloading the regional flag file from the government's official website and supplying it to the event organizers.'
The Hong Kong team took home seven gold medals, as well as five silver and 12 bronze medals, at the championships in the Japanese city of Kawasaki.
Flag mishaps
In May 2023, the top sports federation representing Hong Kong at the Olympics issued amended guidelines on the national anthem and the use of the city's flag.
According to the guidelines issued two years ago, sports bodies associated with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), must collect a toolkit containing a CD or USB drive of the anthem and two physical Hong Kong flags from the federation before setting off for international sports events.
If an incorrect flag is raised, the team leader must lead members in making a 'time out' gesture to object and call for a halt.
The CSTB said in a reply to HKFP that, while the rope-skipping association was not a member organisation of the SF&OC, sports organisations should refer to the federation's updated guidelines on playing the national anthem and displaying the Hong Kong flag.
The guidelines were amended in May 2023 after a spate of incidents involving a protest song being used in place of the Chinese national anthem at international sporting finals, including at an ice hockey game in Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2023 and a rugby tournament in South Korea in November 2022.
The Hong Kong rugby team was also seen holding a Hong Kong flag with an unofficial design at the ceremony, after which the rugby union said that the flag was given by a supporter, not the official flag carried by the team.
In 2021, Angus Ng of the Hong Kong badminton team had an outdated version of the flag printed on his jersey at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Hong Kong gov't to look into inaccurate flag design used at rope-skipping competition in Japan
The Hong Kong government has said it will look into an incident at a rope-skipping competition in Japan over the weekend, during which an inaccurate design of the city's flag was allegedly displayed. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) said that it would look into the issue with the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association, China, after a resident reported the discrepancy to various government departments and the media, including photos and screenshots of the award ceremony. The Hong Kong flag depicts a white five-petalled bauhinia flower on a red background. Specifications for the Hong Kong flag are listed on the government's Protocol Division website. The official design, compared with the one used in the award ceremonies at the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships over the weekend, has petals that taper off more prominently into a point. Slightly more space is left between petals, and the stars are also larger. The rope-skipping association, the unofficial body representing the city's rope-skipping athletes, said in an emailed reply to HKFP on Tuesday that it 'has always strictly complied with the guidelines provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department regarding the use of the regional flag and national anthem at overseas competitions.' It added: 'For the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships, we have once again followed all official procedures, including downloading the regional flag file from the government's official website and supplying it to the event organizers.' The Hong Kong team took home seven gold medals, as well as five silver and 12 bronze medals, at the championships in the Japanese city of Kawasaki. Flag mishaps In May 2023, the top sports federation representing Hong Kong at the Olympics issued amended guidelines on the national anthem and the use of the city's flag. According to the guidelines issued two years ago, sports bodies associated with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), must collect a toolkit containing a CD or USB drive of the anthem and two physical Hong Kong flags from the federation before setting off for international sports events. If an incorrect flag is raised, the team leader must lead members in making a 'time out' gesture to object and call for a halt. The CSTB said in a reply to HKFP that, while the rope-skipping association was not a member organisation of the SF&OC, sports organisations should refer to the federation's updated guidelines on playing the national anthem and displaying the Hong Kong flag. The guidelines were amended in May 2023 after a spate of incidents involving a protest song being used in place of the Chinese national anthem at international sporting finals, including at an ice hockey game in Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2023 and a rugby tournament in South Korea in November 2022. The Hong Kong rugby team was also seen holding a Hong Kong flag with an unofficial design at the ceremony, after which the rugby union said that the flag was given by a supporter, not the official flag carried by the team. In 2021, Angus Ng of the Hong Kong badminton team had an outdated version of the flag printed on his jersey at the Tokyo Olympics.
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