Hong Kong sports bodies told to include ‘China’ in names
Hong Kong’s Olympic Committee has told its member associations to include “China” in their official names or risk having funding pulled.
Sports associations in Hong Kong have been ordered to include “China” in their official names or face expulsion from the city’s Olympic Committee, AFP reports. In a letter distributed to about 60 member organizations, the Committee said that members have until July 1 to comply.
The move comes as authorities in the city continue to increase their nationalist stance across a host of areas in public life.
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“Hong Kong, China” has long been part of the style guide for Chinese state media, and this change would follow the policy already used by the mainland.
In most international competitions, Hong Kong fields its own separate team from the PRC, reflecting Beijing’s “one country, two systems” approach to the city.
Under the leadership of Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平, Hong Kong officials have been moving away from the policy by adopting more overt nationalist policies that continue to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and human rights.
While freedom of expression continues to be restricted, sporting events had been one of the few places where Hong Hong people could express their negative feelings towards China. At soccer events, Hong Kong fans routinely boo the Chinese national anthem before games start.
Hong Kong sport is no stranger to political controversy. In November 2022, the city’s authorities were outraged when rugby organizers of a sevens match against South Korea at a stadium in Incheon accidentally played “Glory to Hong Kong,” the unofficial anthem of the 2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy protest movement, instead of China’s national anthem.
Hope for young Chinese stars at Australian Open
The 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament is underway, with young Chinese hopefuls attempting to make an impact as well as some history.
17-year-old Shāng Jùnchéng 商竣程 certainly made his mark on Monday, beating German Oscar Otte (ranked 76th in the world) to become the first Chinese man to win a match at a Grand Slam in the Open Era. Shang is also the youngest player in the tournament, qualifying after he defeated 39-year-old Spanish player Fernando Verdasco.
Zhèng Qīnwén 郑钦文 arrived in Melbourne after being awarded Newcomer of the Year by the Women’s Tennis Association last year. She dominated her first match on Monday, beating Hungary’s 87th-ranked Dalma Galfi in straight sets.
A win in the first round will see Zheng with a good opportunity to progress as far as the third round, with either Japanese wildcard Moyuka Uchijima or unseeded American Bernarda Pera waiting for her.
Zhāng Shuài 张帅 also has a favorable draw. Her first match will be against the 788th-ranked Patricia Maria Tig of Romania. Zhang should be able to cruise through to the second round, where she is likely to face Croatia’s Petra Martic.
Having won the women’s doubles tennis title at the 2019 Australian Open, Zhang is teaming up with Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia this year for another chance at the title. The pair is seeded No.7 at the 2023 Australian Open.
Chinese eyes will also be drawn to 26-year-old Zhāng Zhīzhēn 张之臻, who is currently China’s No. 1 tennis player and the first Chinese man to crack the top 100 of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Rankings at the end of last year.
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