北京冬奥会为世界冰雪运动发展注入动力 香港体育总会副主席兼奥委会副主席霍启刚
北京冬奥会为世界冰雪运动发展注入动力 香港体育总会副主席兼奥委会副主席霍启刚
The Beijing Winter Olympics have injected impetus into the development of ice and snow sports in China and the world, said Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, vice president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, on Tuesday.
Being husband to China’s celebrated four-time Olympic diving gold medalist Guo Jingjing, Fok is dedicated to the development of winter sports as he comes from a sporting family.
In an interview with China Media Group, Fok highlighted the importance of the Winter Olympics coinciding with the Chinese Lunar New Year.
“I think short track speed skating is also very wonderful. There are many strategies involved in this sport. The athlete not only needs fast speed, but he also needs to catch up. If you are ahead of others at the beginning, you may suffer losses. And then you have to think about how to get ahead. So I think it’s pretty strategic. I like it,” he said.
He pointed out that the HKSAR government sends three athletes to the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. As such, this is Hong Kong’s largest ever contingent at an Olympic Winter Games.
“About three or four years ago, I went skiing in a foreign country. One coach said he knew Beijing would host the Winter Olympics. They were all very excited. I asked him why. He heard that Beijing was going to hire tens of thousands of coaches in the next few years, which means they would have the opportunity to teach skiing in China in the future. If the Olympic Games can develop such a large market in China, in fact, in the long run, it will be very beneficial for the overall winter sports,” he noted.
He hopes Chinese athletes will put up their best performances during the Games and expressed hopes of China hosting the World Cup in the future.
“I hope that as a member of Legislative Council (LegCo) of HKSAR, I also can promote the popularization of sports in Hong Kong, especially for young people. As a member of LegCo, we must have a new goal for our work. I think common people have new expectations, too. Now, the obstacles have been removed, so we have to act, have ideas, and help the friends we represent,” he continued.
