The making of a modest mega-event: Hong Kong and the 2009 EastAsian games

Abstract

In December 2009, Hong Kong hosted its largest ever multi-sport event, the East Asian Games (EAG). Overshadowed initially by the excitement of the 2008 Beijing Olympics – and Hong Kong's part in hosting the equestrian events – the Hong Kong public was slow to appreciate the significance of the EAG. This essay examines the history of sports development in Hong Kong and the relatively ‘underdeveloped’ sporting culture, the expectations of the Hong Kong government and sporting community, and the impact and legacies of the EAG in terms of social change, economic costs and benefits, national prestige and pride, and education and culture. It argues that, for all the collective euphoria over Hong Kong winning the football gold medal, the EAG brought only limited – and short-term – economic benefits and attitudinal changes regarding sport. However, it did demonstrate that Hong Kong could, albeit with some assistance from China, host a multi-sport event and it did encourage some within and without government to seriously consider bidding for the much larger Asian Games.

Keywords:

• Hong Kong
• 2009 East Asian games
• 2008 Beijing Olympics

Notes

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 2. Neves, ‘External Relations’, 272.

 3. Tang, ‘Hong Kong's International Status’, 205.

 4. Roche as cited in Close et al, Beijing Olympiad, 25

 5. Girginov and Parry, Olympic Games Explained, 234.

 6. Black and Westhuizen, ‘Allure of Global Games’, 1200.

 7. HKSDB Benefits of Elite Sport.

 8. Mangan,‘Britain's Chief Spiritual Export’: 328–336; Hwang and Garvie, ‘Sport, Postcolonialism and Modern China’, 77–81; Morris, Pax Britannica, 283.

 9. Chan, Making of Hong Kong Society, 39.

10. I would like to thank Roger Huang for his assistance in tracking down and searching these various volumes.

11. Fu, Development of Sport Culture, 1–2; Carroll, Edge of Empires, 100–107.

12. Faure, Hong Kong: A Reader, 529–30; Sayer, Hong Kong, 1862–1919, 116.

13. Minute by Secretary of Council for Recreation and Sport, September 10, 1975, HKRS 624-2-5. Hong Kong Public Records Office.

14. Fu, Development of Sport Culture, 2; Vertinsky et al, ‘Gendering of Physical Education’, 822–823.

15. Lam and Chang, Quest for Gold, 63–70.

16. Lam and Chang, Quest for Gold, 137–141.

17. South China Morning Post, September 3, 2004

18. South China Morning Post, August 8, 2006

19. Johns and Vertinsky, ‘Influence of Physical, Cultural and Social Environments’,184–188.

20. HKSDB Benefits of Elite Sport.

21. Fu, Development of Sport Culture, 7–10.

22. University of Hong Kong, Youth in Hong Kong.

23. HKSDB. Sports Participation Survey.

24. South China Morning Post, October 21, 2005

25. HKSDB. Physical Characteristics of Hong Kong Youth.

26. Au, ‘Perceived Influence of Socializing Agents’, 160–161.

27. Bachner, Sports and the Law.

28. Liang He Zhenliang, 277–281.

29. Liang He Zhenliang, 280.

30. Burbank et al, Olympic Dreams, 7.

31. Legislative Council, Hosting of the Fifth East Asian Games.

32. South China Morning Post, November 4, 2003.

33. South China Morning Post, November 4, 2003.

34. Sunday Morning Post, December 6, 2009.

35. Standard, December 8, 2009.

36. Girginov and Parry, Olympic Games Explained.

37. Girginov and Parry, Olympic Games Explained, 118.

38. Girginov and Parry, Olympic Games Explained, 119–129, 240–243.

39. Holger Preuss's research cited in South China Morning Post, August 3, 2006.

40. Taylor, ‘Politics and the Seoul Olympics’, 191–192; Bridges, ‘Seoul Olympics’, 1939– 1952.

41. Lau et al, ‘National Identity and the Beijing Olympics’.

42. Curriculum Development Council, Liberal Studies, 64.

43. Legislative Council, Minutes of Meeting of Home Affairs Panel.

44. Legislative Council, Review on the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games; Legislative Council, Minutes of Meeting of Home Affairs Panel.

45. South China Morning Post, November 4, 2003.

46. Legislative Council, Hosting of the Fifth East Asian Games.

47. South China Morning Post, March 9, 2008.

48. Legislative Council, Minutes of Meeting of Home Affairs Panel.

49. The Legislative Council's Public Accounts Committee described as ‘appalling and inexcusable’ that government estimates were not of ‘acceptable accuracy’. Legislative Council, Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games; South China Morning Post, July 7, 2011.

50. Black and Westhuizen, ‘Allure of Global Games’, 1207.

51. Legislative Council, Review on the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games.

52. For example, the HKSAR Chief Executive's 2007 Policy Address, as cited in Ho, Toward an Olympics-National Identity, 3. Ho’s research has produced a detailed analysis of the links between ‘national education’ and national identity in the Hong Kong context.

53. China Daily, December 15, 2009.

54. Leisure and Cultural Services website. http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/2009eagTorch Relay/en/index.php (date accessed 2.9.2010).

55. South China Morning Post, August 22 & 25, 2009.

56. See chapters 11–14 in Johns and Lindner, Physical Activity and Health.

57. Legislative Council, Minutes of Meeting of Home Affairs Panel.

58. Amateur Sports Federation, Report, 15–16.