Executive Council Convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said that Hong Kong may bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics with two neighbors, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, in the name of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

“This will put the Greater Bay Area on the map,” said Ip, who is also a Legislative Council member and chairwoman of the New People’s Party. She submitted the proposal to Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu as part of the recommendations for the 2025 Policy Address, which is scheduled to be released in two weeks.

Ip, who is now in Beijing for the V-Day commemoration events, told China Daily that there was “a strong groundswell of support to host the Games from the private sector in the city”.

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“If our central authority is willing to make a bid for the Games to be held in the Greater Bay Area, the area will instantly gain global fame.”

Ip revealed that at least three local chambers of commerce have expressed support for the bid — the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, and the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Ip, who has advocated for people-to-people diplomacy for years, said that the global recognition of the Greater Bay Area has fallen short of expectations. “I think bidding to host the Olympics is well worth a shot in this regard,” she said.

The private sector, especially multinational companies in Hong Kong, has expressed their interest in the bid, saying that it would be best for Hong Kong make the most of its strengths in the sports and service sectors, especially the newly built Kai Tak Arena, to contribute to the nation.

Bill Condon, an international partner and member of the Global Advisory Board of MilleniumAssociates AG with an extensive business network in the Greater Bay Area, expressed his support for the idea. “If the place wins the bid, this will be a game changer for the Greater Bay Area, especially Hong Kong, given its ready-made infrastructure, the gateway position international services hub, mature tourism industry, and track record of success in sports,” he said.

Legislator Chan Yuet-ming, deputy chairman of LegCo’s Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports, also supported the joint GBA bid, saying that “pooling facilities, talent, and financial resources across Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong would spread risk and create synergies, while better meeting technical requirements and scheduling density across multiple sports”.

India reportedly is the current front-runner for the Games, making the strongest bid. IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the first woman elected to the position, announced in June that she paused the fast-tracking of a preferred bidder and set up a criterion that the hosting government be “a strong sporting nation”.

China’s unmatched prowess in sports wins it a leading position in the bid, while Hong Kong’s co-host the 15th National Games with Guangdong province and Macao in November is a testament to the city’s capacity to host large-scale sports events. With fresh and relevant experience in National Games, the proposal is “feasible and practical”, Chan said.

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So far, a dozen cities, including Shenzhen and Guangzhou, were reported to be on the short list of the candidates of solo host.

“A three-city structure would spread the fiscal and create headroom focus on legacy value,” Chan said. With the Greater Bay Area in the spotlight, the proposal is expected to uplift both tourism and the branding of the whole area, she said.

Promising as it seems to be, the sports sector of the city held that it is still premature to discuss staging the Summer Games in the Greater Bay Area. An insider on the Amateur Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong said that it is “too premature” to discuss such a bid.

Contact the writer at jessicachen@chinadailyhk.com