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HKFP
7 days ago
- Sport
- HKFP
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.
South China Morning Post
17-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
WATCH LIVE: Cathay 2024 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards ceremony
Winners of the Cathay 2024 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards are being announced at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event is organised by the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China. Some 116 athletes, including swimmer Siobhan Haughey and fencer Cheung Ka-long, were nominated for honours being handed out on April 17, 2025. Advertisement Source: SF&OC
South China Morning Post
21-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong, Harbin sign deal to help ‘snowless city' win medals at future Asian Winter Games
Little more than a month after Hong Kong sent their largest contingent ever to an Asian Winter Games, officials have signed an agreement with their counterparts in Harbin to help the 'snowless city' win a medal at the multi-sports event in the future. Advertisement The Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Heilongjiang Sports Federation and Harbin Sport University that covered joint training sessions, sharing expertise, talent development and cultural exchanges. Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, staged the ninth edition of the regional Games in February. Hong Kong sent athletes to compete in curling, speed skating, figure skating, skiing and ice hockey. Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chui and Xu Qin, secretary of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party, took part in the signing ceremony, alongside Yin Zhonghua, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR; Xu Xiangguo, secretary general of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party; Edgar Yang, honorary secretary general of SF&OC and Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, SF&OC vice-president and chairman of the Hong Kong Olympic Academy. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu at the signing ceremony. Photo: SF&OC In a statement announcing the move, Yang highlighted the success Heilongjiang had in developing Winter Olympic gold medallists. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
11-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Cooler heads must prevail when tempers heat up in ice hockey
Published: 8:15am, 11 Feb 2025 Respect is a core sporting value, yet it was sadly lacking during a men's ice hockey match between Hong Kong and Turkmenistan at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin on Sunday. A shocking assault on players from the city must be investigated so disciplinary action can be taken and to remind all of the importance of good sportsmanship. Officials from Hong Kong have rightly demanded action after the incident where postgame handshakes turned violent following the city's 5-1 win over Turkmenistan. It followed a scrappy Group C clash at Harbin Ice Hockey Arena where players from both teams served a combined hour's worth of penalties for elbowing, tripping and slashing. Three Turkmenistan players reportedly attacked several Hongkongers. Video showed one suffering a blow to the head that sent a helmet flying. Two were taken to hospital for checks. Thankfully, none were seriously hurt. The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) 'strongly condemned' the brawl that even drew the attention of Chinese state media.
South China Morning Post
10-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Asian Winter Games: Hong Kong ice hockey players attacked by Turkmenistan rivals
Hong Kong officials have demanded action after players from the Turkmenistan team assaulted the Hong Kong men's ice hockey team members. The shocking attack followed Hong Kong's 5-1 win over Turkmenistan on Sunday at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China. In a statement, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), said it 'strongly condemned' the incident at the end of the Group C clash at Harbin Ice Hockey Arena. The game was a bad-tempered affair. Teams served out an hour's worth of penalties between them for offences including elbowing, tripping, slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct, which spilled over at the postgame handshakes.
