Sporting vibe set to thrive in GBA

The Greater Bay Area, with its extensive experience in organizing major global sports events, is poised to build up a thriving sports industry and host world-class games. Zhou Mo reports from Shenzhen.

With supportive government policies, a competitive edge and solid experience, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is set to scale new heights in developing sports, says a senior executive of Hong Kong's horse-racing operator.

The Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, along with the other nine Chinese mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, have "unique and extensive" experience in organizing large-scale sports events, says Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, executive director of corporate affairs at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Hong Kong co-organized the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics. It also hosts the annual premier rugby tournament, the Hong Kong Sevens, as well as the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.

Macao has been staging its annual Macau Grand Prix for decades, while Guangzhou has held more than 30 international sports tournaments so far, with the number of national-level sports events exceeding 150 in 2019 alone. "These experiences and achievements have proved that the GBA is well positioned to develop a thriving sports industry," Tam told China Daily in an interview.

The HKSAR's former secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs says much progress has been made in sports since the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was promulgated.

The blueprint, launched in February 2019, says Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao should jointly develop sports and sports-related industries in the region and organize international and regional sports events.

The 2025 National Games, to be co-hosted by the three sides, will be an ideal platform for them to leverage their respective strengths and advantages in organizing a "simple, safe, and wonderful" event, says Tam. "With the country placing growing importance on realizing people's aspirations to improve the quality of living, large-scale sports events will play a vital role in enriching social lives and boosting physical health."

"Besides, these events can inject new impetus into economic growth, upgrade consumption patterns and promote the tourism business. As Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are highly experienced in this field, there's plenty of room for cooperation," he says.

In his maiden Policy Address on Oct 19, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to further promote sports development.

As part of the HKSAR's push, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau will map out a decade-long development blueprint for sports and recreation facilities. About 30 diversified facilities, such as sports centers, swimming pools, sports grounds and parks, will be built in phases.

Greater support will also be given to amplify Hong Kong's role as a center for mega world sports events. The city plans to host at least 10 major international sports events that should attract at least 350,000 attendees each year, Lee said.

Macao is also striving to develop the sports industry as part of broader efforts to further diversify its economy. In its Second Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2021-25) released in December last year, culture and sports were listed among the key industries alongside healthcare, modern finance, high-tech, exhibitions and commerce to create new growth points for Macao's economy.

Under the plan, exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong and Macao will be strengthened by leveraging sports facilities and spaces in Zhuhai's Hengqin New Area and exploring the possibility of holding multidestination sports events.

Sports events brands will be used to boost the development of related industries, such as tourism and culture, to create synergy. Macao has also pledged to promote mass sports to the general public, with the aim of lifting attendance at public sports activities to 460,000 by 2025.

Tam also notes the GBA has enormous potential to transform itself into a "world-class center of excellence" for the equine industry, with equine sports on the mainland expanding rapidly and becoming more popular.

The National Equine Industry Development Plan (2020-25), unveiled in September 2020, says the GBA can drive the development of the modern equine industry in line with international standards.

"The GBA also has some competitive edges in furthering its equine industry. It houses the mainland's first and permanent equine disease-free zone and the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Conghua Racecourse (in Guangzhou), which is the only world-class horse training and racing facility on the mainland and has been regarded as a prime example of Guangdong-Hong Kong cooperation since its opening in 2018," says Tam.

The HKJC signed a framework cooperation agreement with the Guangzhou municipal government last year to boost the development of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong racing economic cluster, and aims to stage regular world-standard races at the CRC from 2026.

"With the state-of-the-art CRC grandstand, thousands of GBA spectators will be able to watch the races from a close distance and experience Hong Kong's 'keep-racing-going' tradition when CRC's regular racing program begins," says Tam.

"At the same time, the success in staging world-class racing in Guangzhou can further raise Hong Kong people's awareness of the mainland GBA municipalities' vibrancy in the sports arena and overall prosperity."

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com