In this Straight Talk episode, Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), tells us how Hong Kong is playing its part in this historic 15th National Games and what the city can look forward to.

Check out the full transcript of TVB’s Straight Talk host Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung’s interview with Yeung Tak-Keung:

Chan: Welcome to Straight Talk with Eugene Chan! The 15th National Games, China's last largest and most prestigious sporting event, has begun, jointly hosted for the first time by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) and Hong Kong's first Commissioner for Sports, was on the show a year ago as preparations were gearing up. We have invited TK back to give us the latest update on how Hong Kong is playing its part in this historic event and what the city can look forward to. Welcome back to our show, TK!

Yeung: Thank you for inviting me again!

The torch relay

Chan: TK, this has been a very historic moment for Hong Kong and, especially, we have just watched the spectacular opening ceremony themed “Realizing Dreams for the Future”, and also the coordinated torch relay that was held in Hong Kong, and it was very, very special. So, now that the cauldron has been lit, how have all these events helped to set a stage for the spirit of cooperation we are seeing?

Yeung: Well, the first thing is it's the first time for Hong Kong, Guangdong, and Macao to co-host the National Games. As you said, it's a very big event, and a lot of work, you know, by all the parties. So, in the past three years, we have been working very closely with our counterparts in Guangdong and Macao, and we established a very good liaison mechanism so that all the issues and all the work can be sorted out very quickly. We are very pleased that, so far, the National Games in the three places are being held very smoothly and the responses are very good.

Chan: Right. And we saw that the relay in Hong Kong started from Tamar across Star Ferry and then to the new Kai Tak Sports Park, really highlighting our Hong Kong's financial and cultural identity, especially Victoria Harbour. So, what was the message that you were hoping for the route to convey to the rest of the nation?

Yeung: The torch relay is the first time for the event to be held in four cities at the same time. So, each of the cities has its own characteristics. In Hong Kong, we want to show the best part of Hong Kong, including our landmark in Central and MOT, which is our very famous financial and commercial center. And then all the routes we covered, both sides of Victoria Harbour, which is, again, a very famous tourist attraction for Hong Kong. And then the torchbearers took the ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui and then also took a bus from Tsim Sha Tsui to Kai Tak Sports Park. So, ferries and open-deck bus are also very popular among the tourists. And along the route, we showed the Golden Bauhinia Square, all the landmark buildings on both sides of the harbor, and then the final finishing point was Kai Tak Sports Park, which is a new landmark, and also the main venue for the National Games in Hong Kong. So, we want to show our cultural landmark, our tourist attractions, and also our best sports venues in Hong Kong.

Chan: Right, TK. Thank you for telling us the background why you chose the route. It's kind of different to the Guangzhou and Shenzhen paths because they used more technology-driven approach, such as they have the first ever humanoid robotic torch bearer, compared to our approach was more classic and more scenic. Why was this approach important for us?

Yeung: Well, as I just said, each city has its own characteristics, and they have their own things to show. Well, you mentioned Guangzhou. Actually, Guangzhou, they also include a lot of heritage in the torch relay route. And in Shenzhen, they also have the Lianhuashan Park, which is an important landmark in Shenzhen. So, it's not only the technology part and all the four cities want to show their special features. And in Hong Kong, we think the best thing is to show our Victoria Harbour and the attractions on both sides of the harbor.

Chan: Since you've set such a nice trail, as we call it, there has been some talk that this sort of route, really could even serve as a new tourism trail. Have you been talking to the tourism and cultural sectors? What are their responses so far?

Yeung: Sure. Well, actually, we have been working closely with our tourism trade. And as sports is under CSTB, which is Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau, tourism and sports … we are actually working under the same roof. We have been working closely with the tourism trade in promoting various tourist attractions along the route. And before and after the event, we received many positive responses, because the whole torch relay was shown on TV live, not only in Hong Kong but also in the whole country and also overseas. Some comments we received was that it shows a very beautiful Hong Kong. And actually, the production company, they took a lot of shots from the sky, using technology. So, they think it shows a very good … give a very good impression on the whole of Hong Kong.

Chan: Well, it definitely gives Hong Kong's tourism sector big boost because people can see how beautiful it is; it is kind of a bird’s eye view coming down. And since you mentioned the torchbearers, I understand that there were like 50 of them, and they were both … from athletes like Wang Chun-ting in table tennis and Kaylin Hsieh in fencing to volunteers and community representatives. How was it chosen, and why was it important to show this diversity? Because you told me earlier that maybe on the mainland, there are sometimes, especially for volunteers, university students, mainly. How would you comment on this for the people of Hong Kong?

Yeung: Well, the torch relay is a very important event of the National Games, and it also set the scene for the opening of the games. So, as the National Games are basically a major sports event, among the torchbearers, the sports sector, of course, occupied almost half of the torchbearer slots. So, we ask different sports organizations to nominate the torchbearers. And also, we have many sponsors and the Jockey Club, they are our partner in organizing the game. So, we also invite the partner and the sponsors to nominate their representatives. And we also have representative from other sectors of the community, including young people, the ethnic minorities. So, we invite the relevant bureaus to make recommendations.

And, I think, in fact we had a very good representation of Hong Kong, because the 50 torchbearers, they really represent that Hong Kong is a very inclusive and very tightly diverse community, but we all work together to make the torch relay a success.

Chan: Right, I think another issue that people will see is they see four torch relays happening at the same time in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. This sort of suggestion or sort of impression of being united, is the reason why you want to do it together at the same time?

Yeung: Yeah, well, we want to show that this time, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, we are doing the National Games together, not just by putting different sports events in different cities. So, not only the torch relay, but also other events. We are doing it altogether. So, it shows that we are working in very good spirit. That means a lot of thoughts have been put in the details of actually how it was presented to everybody, I mean, in Hong Kong, mainland and the rest of the world, isn't it?

HK role in the Games

Chan: Right. Let's talk about Hong Kong’s role in the game. I'm going to say, how have the tickets been selling? Have seen a lot of people wanting it, or people mainly rely on direct telecasts on the television?

Yeung: Well, the response is actually quite good. And especially after the game started on the Oct 31, the beach volleyball, and handball also started the next day. And initially, before the games in Hong Kong started, about 40 percent of the tickets were sold via the website and also through the branches of the China Travel Service. But once the game started, a lot of coverage by press, and also, you know, the spectators, after watching the games, they found it very exciting and, you know, they loved the games. So, they put a lot of positive remarks on social media. And then after that, a lot of people and the general public, they went to different venues to buy tickets. Say for example, the beach volleyball in Victoria Park, in the first few days, a lot of people bought the ticket at the scene. It shows that after the game started, it attracted very good response, and the ticket sales have been picking up.

Chan: Right. And apart from that, I understand there are eight sports that have been carried in Hong Kong, out of 34 games.

Yeung: 34.

Chan: Which one do you think would be the most popular game for Hong Kong’s spectators?

Yeung: Well, a lot of people pay special attention to fencing.

Chan: Of course.

Yeung: Because, yeah, our fencing athletes, they have been doing very well in international competitions in recent years, including at the last two Olympic Games. So, a lot of people want to watch the fencing competition. But at the same time, the other events in Hong Kong were, you know, carefully chosen. Why we chose these events is that, you know … all the sports actually our athletes are doing very well. They are training very hard, and they are very competitive. So, we expect not only in fencing, but also in other events, our athletes should perform very well.

Chan: I think there are other things like golf, which is very popular.

Yeung: Yes.

Chan: Also, you have your Rugby Sevens as well.

Yeung: Yeah. Rugby sevens, track cycling and golf – these are the events in which we pick up a lot of medals in the Asian games and also other events. And also triathlon. It's also a good event. Our athletes are doing very well.

Chan: Right, TK, time for a short break now. We'll be back with more Straight Talk. Thank you for staying with us.

Chan: Thank you for staying with us. TK Yeung, head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) and Hong Kong's first Commissioner for Sports, has been updating us on the impact of the 15th National Games on Hong Kong as we co-host this first ever cross-regional National Games. So, TK, thank you for the update. I think all the viewers are keen to watch all the remaining events of the National Games. But I must ask the typical question. I think everybody in Hong Kong, including the Chief Executive, were very excited when Nicholas Halliday won our first gold medal of the games in sailing. I am not going to ask you to predict how well we will do, I know that we have got 47 medals in the last 7 games …

Yeung: 7 additional … yeah.

Chan: And we have got some gold medals, especially in cycling, we have done very well.

Yeung: Yes.

Chan: So, how do you see Hong Kong now, especially in the last few years? We have done well in fencing, and even golf is something that Hong Kong is pretty good in. How do you see this time with some home advantage?

Yeung: Well, it is very important because I talk to a lot of athletes and coaches, and in the past, they travelled to the mainland to compete at the National Games, but this time they are competing on home ground with home crowd support. Also, they do not need to go to the mainland provinces to make preparations, they can stay at the Sports Institute or stay in other venues to make preparations for the National Games. So, they make full use of this opportunity to prepare for the games and they are very confident that they can achieve breakthrough in the National Games this time.

Chan: So, that means we must have as many games held in Hong Kong as possible, so that we will have this home advantage, isn't it?

Yeung: Yeah, well, there are altogether 34 sports in the National Games, and this time we chose eight sports events to be held in Hong Kong. These eight events are carefully chosen. First of all, we want to do the sports events that we have the suitable venues for, and then our athletes are very competitive in those sports. And the other criteria is that those sports are very popular in Hong Kong. All these factors add up together to give the platform for athletes to perform to their best, so that, hopefully, they can achieve good results. And another point equally important is that we want more spectators. The home crowd can go to the venue to support the athletes. And through watching these high-level competitions, through watching our local athletes performing at the high-level events, we want to inspire more youngsters, the next generation to participate in sports. And hopefully 10 years down the road, we can have more world champions, Olympic champions. So, through hosting such a large-scale event, we want to promote the sporting culture in Hong Kong.

Logistics

Chan: The more international events are held in Hong Kong, the more opportunities, more home crowd, and actually to inspire the younger children. Because I was also reading that our beach volleyball games in Victoria Park, although we didn't do that great, I see a lot of school children actually attending. So, that must be what you are saying that we will inspire more people to join the sports. I must ask you this: this time when you are looking after eight sports in Hong Kong, you have got other teams coming to Hong Kong to compete, there must have been some operational challenges. And can you share with the viewers has Hong Kong been able to tackle them?

Yeung: Yeah, well, it involves a lot of work because for the National Games and also in December, we will have the National Games for People with Disabilities, and the National Special Olympics. And the two games together, there will be altogether around 5,000 people coming to Hong Kong, including athletes, technical officials, some government officials, and also the media. So, altogether around 5,000. A lot of people are coming to Hong Kong to participate in the games. And it includes not only the transport arrangement, we also arrange the hotels, accommodation, catering, security, etc. Luckily we have many government departments backing us up, so we work closely together with police, the Transport Department, and many other government departments, and outside organizations. And well, so far, the hospitality arrangements, and the receptions of the athletes are very smooth. For example, a lot of athletes are coming from the mainland, so we arranged special immigration arrangements for them to come to Hong Kong, so that can shorten the immigration clearance time, the custom clearance time. And at the immigration checkpoint, we have our volunteers to receive them and take them to the hotel and help them check in. And from the hotel, we also arrange special transport to take them to the training venues and the competition venues every day. So, basically everything is well arranged, and the arrangements receive very good comments from the mainland teams. And so far, well, everything is going fine.

Chan: Right. So, we must congratulate and thank you for doing such a great job because we also read from the news that the government is also expecting over 100,000 visitors from the mainland and also overseas to come for the games. Maybe that is why we are seeing that we get a bit more traffic jam than usual, and all the restaurants are getting busy. I am sure that is a good sign for Hong Kong. One thing that we talked about, I mean, off camera, is that one of the very sort of motivating sort of power for yourself is to showcase this Hong Kong ability to able to run such an international event. So, has Hong Kong disappointed you or it has surprised you that we have done so well?

Yeung: Well, I think we are doing reasonably well so far. And also, say, the officials from the mainland, they also gave very positive feedback about our work. And, I think, Hong Kong overall, we showed our capability to host large-scale sports events like the National Games. So, I think so far we are doing quite good.

Way forward

Chan: TK, as I said to you, you have been in a very special position. You have been a Sports Commissioner for 10 years, you have led teams to the National Games twice, and now you see this first historic event from being hosted in Hong Kong. As you said, it will be quite some time before we have this opportunity again. So, will this sort of anticipated success of cross-border collaboration give you the confidence that Hong Kong will be able to do more future cross-border collaboration, not only in sports but other events?

Yeung: Well, definitely, because in hosting the National Games, we want to achieve two main objectives. The first one is to promote sports development in Hong Kong. And the other one is to promote cooperation in the Greater Bay Area. And in the past few years, we have been working very closely with them, with Guangdong and Macao. And all the arrangements were made with their assistance and advice. So, I think we demonstrate that the Greater Bay Area can host very important and very large scale events. And through organizing the National Games, actually we have deepened mutual understanding among all the cities in the Greater Bay Area.

Chan: Right.

Yeung: So, in the future, hopefully, we can do more large-scale events, not only sports but also non-sports events. And I think we have shown that our capability and our cooperation mechanism are working very well.

Mascots

Chan: I think for the athletes and spectators, when they attend any game, they want to have some lasting impression. I see that you have brought some mascots and souvenirs to show what they are. Can you just briefly introduce them to the viewers?

Yeung: Sure. These two are very cute and lovely mascots. They are the Chinese white dolphins. They are called Xi Yang Yang and Le Rong Rong. They were launched in early 2025 and are very popular, and a lot of people, including young people, love it. This one is a bus. Actually, for the National Games, we have a series of franchise product, not only bus, we have ferries, trams and lots of things. Go to our souvenir shops, you can have a lot of choices.

Chan: I am sure they are very affordable.

Yeung: Yeah, yeah, yeah, very affordable. Just to let you know, with less than HK$100, you can buy many pins, badges, and etc.

Chan: Right. I think I am going to ask you the last question on a personal note. As I said to you, you have been through all these. What will be your wish and hope for Hong Kong sports development in the years to come? I mean you have been through quite a meaningful journey. What will you say to that?

Yeung: Well, I think in the past 10 years, the government has invested a lot in sports. And also the general public support sports very much. So, I am very optimistic that our athletes and the sporting culture in Hong Kong will further improve. And I hope we can achieve more new grounds. Especially, you know, after the National Games, hopefully, we can organize other big games. And also with the Kai Tak Sports Park, a lot of good events can come to Hong Kong.

Chan: Right. TK, thank you very much, to you and your team, for putting Hong Kong on the map for this historic event. The 15th National Games truly showcases Hong Kong's unique blend of energy, culture, and world-class capability, while strengthening our bonds within the Greater Bay Area. They are indeed a game-changer, not just for sports, but for Hong Kong's place on the national and global stage.

Thank you for joining us on Straight Talk, and have a good evening!