The upcoming visit by an Olympic delegation from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong from Dec 3 to 5 and the special administrative region's historic finish at this year's 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will spark a new wave of love for the Olympics and sports in the city. Let's take a brief look at the city's past, present and future of the development of the Olympics and sports.

In this Aug 1, 2021 photo, people in a shopping mall in Hong Kong watch a broadcast of fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long competing in the men's team foil competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (BERTHA WANG / AFP)

1. Olympic performance

Hong Kong began to take part in the Olympics from the 1952 Helsinki Games

Hong Kong began to take part in the Olympics from the 1952 Helsinki Games. Foil fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long became the first Olympic gold medalist since the handover in 1997 and the second in the city's history. Lee Lai Shan is the first. She won gold in women's windsurfing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The 2022 Tokyo Olympics witnessed the biggest medal haul of the city with one gold, two silvers and three bronzes, covering fencing, swimming, cycling , table tennis and karate.

Cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze is the first Hong Kong athlete to have medals from two Olympics. She won the bronze medal in women's keirin at the London 2012 Olympics and bronze as well in Tokyo's women's sprint event.

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In this undated photo, members of the Hong Kong windsurfing team train at sea. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

2. Government support to elite sport

In 2012, the government established the Elite Athletes Development Fund to provide financial support to the Hong Kong Sports Institute, which was set up to train and support elite athletes.

According to the HKSI's latest annual report, it received total funding of HK$664.5 million for the 2019-20 fiscal year. Some HK$112.1 million of this was direct financial assistance for elite athletes, with the remainder allocated to train these competitors and for operational expenditure. It will allocate HK$737 million to the institute through the EADF in 2021-22.

Following the good results at the Olympics, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced in August five new measures to promote the sustainable development of sports in the city. The moves include the proposed allocation of HK$990 million to expedite the HKSI's new building project; the joint establishment of a HK$300 million fund with the Jockey Club Charities Trust to enhance the competitiveness of athletes at international events in the coming few years; and the promotion of sports as a career, a profession and an industry.

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In this file photo taken on Aug 8, 2021, Bronze medallist Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze poses with her medal after the women's track cycling sprint finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Izu Velodrome in Izu, Japan. (GREG BAKER / AFP)

3. Olympic success fuels public enthusiasm

After fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long's triumph in Tokyo, registrations for fencing classes in the city rose up to 70 percent, according to the Hong Kong Fencing School.

Swimming became even hotter after Siobhan Haughey's double silver finishes in 100m and 200m freestyle in Tokyo. The city, with an area of only 1,100 square kilometers, boasts 44 public swimming pools and 42 public beaches and Hong Kong China Swimming Association, one of the national sports associations, is responsible for developing and selecting potential enthusiasts to turn them into professional.

According to a recent survey, more than 70 percent of local residents believe Hong Kong should send more athletes to compete in mainland and international events and hold more international events, such as the Asian Youth Games and the FISU World University Games.

READ MORE: Lam expects good results from HK athletes at Tokyo Olympics

In this file photo taken on Sept 27, 2021, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (center), accompanied by Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng and Ma Xingrui, governor of Guangdong province (not pictured), waves the flag for the 15th National Games at the closing ceremony of the 14th National Games in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

4. Future as part of the GBA

The city is becoming even more integrated into the mainland as part of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Following the Olympic triumph in Tokyo, the State Council announced on Aug 26 that Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao will co-host the 2025 National Games, making the two special administrative regions to firstly hold the nation's top sports competition.

Lam announced on Oct 6 in the Policy Address of her current term the plan of a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to consolidate the city's strengths in these fields, which is considered as the most logical move made in the best interest of these sectors.