The main stadium of the Kai Tak Sports Park successfully hosted its first test event on Sunday, drawing more than 10,200 spectators to a thrilling rugby sevens tournament featuring teams from Hong Kong's various universities.
The six-hour event, featuring 17 competing men's and women's teams from the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong, China, ran smoothly and marked a significant milestone in preparing the stadium for future largescale activities.
The test event was a crucial step in ensuring the stadium’s readiness for its first international sports event, the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, scheduled for March 28 to 30, 2025.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, who inspected the venue, said that due to ongoing construction in certain areas, the test was conducted using only one-fifth of the stadium’s full capacity. He said that future tests will gradually be increased in size, with at least three largescale trials hosting 65,000 attendees planned. These tests will simulate various scenarios to ensure the government is well-prepared to handle any situation effectively.
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Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi Kin-pan highlighted the complexity of the test event, which involved simultaneous sports and entertainment activities, music, and significant interaction between cameras and the audience. Despite these challenges, the crowd management, broadcast coordination, and entry and exit procedures were executed seamlessly, meeting overall expectations.
Tsoi also praised the transportation arrangements, adding that the majority of attendees used public transport, primarily arriving and departing via Kai Tak and Sung Wong Toi MTR stations. To address a temporary taxi shortage at the taxi pick-up/drop-off points at Sung Wong Toi, the Kai Tak Sports Park control center proactively coordinated with taxi operators to deploy additional vehicles, ensuring smooth operations, he said.
The USFHK Rugby Sevens competition kicked off at 11:15 am and concluded at 6:30 pm on Sunday. Spectators began entering through gate F at 10:00 am, with strict security checks in place. Prohibited items included long umbrellas, food, beverages, and water bottles.
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Security checks were efficient, with at least 13 security teams deployed and a dedicated channel for attendees without bags. Umbrella buckets and storage racks were also provided at the security check area for convenience.
Tsoi urged the public to avoid bringing prohibited items to future events and announced plans to expand paid storage facilities for large or valuable items, such as photography equipment.
The action at the tournament was fiercely competitive, with City University of Hong Kong defeating The Education University of Hong Kong 12–5 to claim the women’s championship. In the men’s final, Hong Kong Baptist University triumphed over CUHK, which was aiming for a fourth consecutive title, with a narrow 10–7 victory.
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Earlier, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that a grand opening ceremony is slated in the first quarter of this year for the sports complex, featuring a star-studded cast of sports celebrities and artists. The park began hosting test matches and rehearsals in November 2023.
The Kai Tak Sports Park, covering an area of 28 hectares, is the largest sports park in the city and boasts a 50,000-seat main stadium. Upcoming events to be hosted at the park include shows by British rock band Coldplay in April.
Contact the writer at fangxue@chinadailyhk.com
