Head of the National Games Coordination Office Yeung Tak-keung is on Straight Talk today, to talk about how co-hosting the 15th National Games next year with Macao and the Guangdong province will solidify Hong Kong's identity in the Greater Bay Area.

Check out the full transcript of TVB’s Straight Talk host Dr Eugene Chan’s interview with Yeung:

Chan: Good evening and welcome to Straight Talk! I'm Eugene Chan and our guest this evening is head of the National Games Coordination Office, Yeung Tak-keung. Yeung has served in various government positions, most recently as Hong Kong's first commissioner for sports. He led our athletes’ preparations for international competitions and also spearheaded the development of the Kai Tak Sports Park, which will serve as a main venue for hosting events of the 15th National Games. Welcome, TK!

Yeung: Hi, Eugene!

Chan: TK, we have been wanting to invite you for quite some time and now is the right time, because we are now at one year countdown to the National Games. Maybe you can familiarize our viewers with what National Games are all about. I understand this will be the 15th National Games next year, and Hong Kong has been sending a delegation to these games since the handover in 1997 so what is the scale of this National Games and how many are being played by Hong Kong?

Yeung: Well, the National Games is the biggest sports event in China. It is also the highest level competition in China, so it will be participated by all the provinces and the autonomous regions and also the special administrative regions. So, it's held once every four years like the Olympics. And Hong Kong has been participating in the National Games since 1997. So, we have participated in seven national games so far. Next year will be the 15th National Games, and now it's time to participate in the games. As I said, the National Games are like the Olympics. It has 34 sports, including all the Olympic sports, plus Wushu. So, and also since 2017, we have the mass participation sports because it's the national aim to promote public participation in sports. There are over 20 mass participation sports as well. So, in terms of participation, there will be over 10,000 athletes in the Games, and next year, Hong Kong will be hosting eight events, including golf and also Rugby Sevens, fencing, handball, track cycling, basketball, beach volleyball and triathlon.

Chan: Right, TK, since you mentioned this is kind of like a mini Olympics. So, what is the actual significance of this event to the mainland athletes, as compared to Hong Kong athletes?

Yeung: Well, for mainland athletes, it is very important. Because, you know, selecting the national champions is also part of the preparation for the Olympics for the mainland athletes. But in Hong Kong, because of our selection for athletes to participate in the Olympics, or Asian Games, we have a different system. But still, it's a very important Games for Hong Kong athletes as well, because from their participation in the National Games, they can compete with very high-level athletes from all over China so that they can raise their standard as well. And also, if they achieve good results at the National Games, that will also help them to achieve elite status in our elite sports system in Hong Kong.

Chan: Right. Just now, you mentioned a term called mass participation sports. This is something that I'm sure the viewers are not very familiar with. So, what exactly is it and what kind of sports belong to this class?

Yeung: Well, as I said before, for the competition events, altogether, 34 sports. Those are the Olympic sports. But for the mass participation sports, some of them are also Olympic sports, like table tennis, badminton, football. But there are also other non-Olympic sports, such as bridge, bowling, which Hong Kong will be hosting bowling. So, it also includes some sports that are very popular in the mainland. So, its main purpose is to encourage the public, give them a chance to participate in this biggest event in China.

Chan: This 15th National Games, is it the first time the GBA is hosting the event?

Yeung: Yeah, it's the first time for the Greater Bay Area to host the event. And actually it's only the first time for several cities together to host the National Games. Because in the past, the National Games was always hosted by one province or one city, but this time, the GBA – which means Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao – we all together are hosting the National Games.

Chan: TK, you've been the coordinator for the whole event. And as you know, Hong Kong has done many international events before, like golf or Rugby Sevens or even football. This time you have many events at the same time. Do you find it a challenge?

Yeung: It's definitely a challenge because, well, as you said, Hong Kong is quite experienced in hosting single sport events like golf, marathon and Rugby Sevens. We are doing quite well in single sport events. But for multi-sport events, it's different because, say, for the National Games, it will be held from the 9th of November to the 21st of November. Between that period, we will host eight sports in Hong Kong. You need to coordinate everything, because during the same period, different sports will be held at the same time. So, in terms of the competition venue, in terms of accommodation, transport, immigration, facilitation, everything, and also this time, we also need to coordinate with Guangdong and Macao, because they are hosting other sports as well. So, the competition schedule, we need to coordinate, to coordinate with them, to work out a schedule that best suits Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and also the spectators who will likely come from different places from China or from overseas. So, it's a big cost, so we are working hard to do it.

Chan: I mean, we're now at the Fanling Golf Course. We had Kenneth Lam here a few weeks ago, and he told us that we had this same course for over 60 years. So, obviously this club will have the experience, but in terms of fencing or even cycling, do we have the expertise as well?

Yeung: Well, golf, we have a long history of organizing international events. For other sports that Hong Kong will be hosting, we are actually quite experienced. As you mentioned, track cycling, our Velodrome in Tseung Kwan O, which is the home to several international track cycling events already. So, we are quite confident that we can do it as well. But as I said, we need to coordinate with different, you know, organizers. And also we need to put the schedule. The overall competition schedule is very tight, but we need to organize events all at the same time. So, it's quite a challenge for every one of us.

Chan: Since you mentioned this is going to be held by three cities, in a way, we have different cultures, different administrative procedures. How do you find the teething period with the other two offices? Has it been a challenge, or has it been much smoother than you think?

Yeung: Well, so far, we have been working very closely with Guangdong and Macao, and as you said, we have different systems. We work on different procedures, and sometimes our timeline in doing something is different. But overall our cooperation is very smooth, because we all work on the same goal that is to organize a successful National Games. And we also, you know, while we share information, very frankly, we also, you know, exchange views from time to time, and work closely together. So far, I would say that the cooperation is good and the preparation work is smooth, so far.

Chan: Right, TK, I read that the official slogan is: “Passionate National Games, Vibrant Greater Bay Area”. Can you tell us about the actual emblem and actual mascots? I know that they've got two mascots, and also something special about the emblem. Can you share with the viewers?

Yeung: Well, yeah, the mascot just released three weeks ago. It is the Chinese white dolphin, which is, you know, a special feature for this part in the Greater Bay Area. And so we want to use the mascot and also the logo to promote the game, so it shows the common value of the Greater Bay Area.

Chan: And I understand that you mentioned the golfing venue, about the Tseung Kwan O for track cycling. But how about in terms of athletes villages? Do we actually have accommodation for them?

Yeung: Well, this time, because the central government announced one of the main principles in organizing the game is to keep things simple. That means there will not be an athletes village, and there will not be new sports facilities built especially for the National Games. So, we are using existing facilities and also facilities that are being built, like the Kai Tak Sports Park. And for athletes village, we will not use athletes village but we will use the hotels near the venues as accommodation for the athletes. So, this time, we want to keep things simple. And this is, you know, also the safe course.

Chan: Right. See, TK, since you're on the show, and then we know that you were responsible for the development of the Kai Tak Sports Park in your previous post. And I know they have a lot of National Games and will be held there. But there have been some concerns amongst the community that when it's opening in March they may have some logistics issues. Are you worried or should we be concerned?

Yeung: Well, we are quite confident that the Kai Tak Sports Park would be ideal for the National Games. And in fact, experts from the General Administration of Sports in Beijing, and also officials from Guangdong, have visited the Sports Park, and they found the facilities very good. So, we are quite confident in that.

Chan: Right Tak. Let's take a short break now and viewers, stay with us. We will be right back.

Chan: Thank you for staying with us. The head of National Games Coordination Office, Yeung, is with us tonight to talk to us about Hong Kong's participation in the 15th National Games next November, and the opportunities we have as co-hosts for the first time. So, TK, I think that one of the very attractive part of this National Games for Hong Kong is us being a co-host. What advantages or what will be the lesson that we will learn from it that makes Hong Kong a better city for hosting other events?

Yeung: Well, I think through hosting the National Games, we can show our capability in doing large-scale sports events successfully here in Hong Kong, and also in cooperation with the Greater Bay Area. So, hopefully, in the future, we can attract more large-scale events to come to Hong Kong. And also, if the scale is really big, we can do it again with Guangdong and Macao because nowadays, the sports events, many sports events are getting bigger and bigger, in terms of number of participants and teams. So, the facilities required is also getting much and much larger. There are cases that in the future, we can work together with Guangdong and Macao again to host a large-scale, world-class event.

Chan: Right. TK, since you've become the Sports Commissioner since 2016, if I remember correctly, Hong Kong athletes have done very well in the Olympics and Asian Games. Do you have any expectations for our athletes for this upcoming National Games?

Yeung: Well, I think next year our athletes will be competing in Hong Kong, what we call the home ground advantage, and also in nearby cities in Greater Bay Area. So, I expect the public, members of the public, will come out to support them. And with such home ground advantage, I think our athletes will try their best. Actually, in the past, our athletes were doing quite well, not only in the Olympics and also Asian Games, but also we’re doing quite well in the National Games as well. We have won over 40 medals, including 11 gold medals.

Chan: Right.

Yeung: So, we have not a bad track record. Next time, with the home ground advantage and also the home crowd support, I think our athletes, they can perform even better.

Chan: Right. As you are saying, I am just thinking in the past when they had the home ground advantage, for example, now you have the golf course, now you have the fencing, those are our strong sports, so chances of doing well will be very high.

Yeung: Yeah, well, actually in selecting the x sports to be host in Hong Kong, one of the considerations is the competitiveness of our athletes. That's why we choose fencing, Rugby Sevens, golf, track cycling, in those sports our athletes have been doing quite well in recent years. So, this time, well, fencing will be held at the Kai Tak Sports Park. So, in the past two Olympics, we won gold medals in Paris and also in Tokyo. But in the past, our fencers have not won the gold medals in National Games yet.

Chan: Right.

Yeung: So, this time I hope our members of the public can come out and support them. And hopefully they can achieve some breakthrough.

Chan: Yes. So, being home ground, how many athletes are we sending this time? Are we having the biggest delegation? Or are we keeping about the same size as before?

Yeung: Well, in past National Games, we send on average 100-200 athletes, but this time, because as a host city, we can be exempted from some of the preliminary rounds. So, our athletes in different sports, they can go to the final. I expect more teams will join. So, likely, we will have the biggest delegation to the National Games next year.

Chan: Right. You know in the recent Olympics, we saw that there are a lot of commercial sponsors, like incentives. If you have got a gold medal, you got a certain amount of money. How about National Games? Are we going to have any incentives given to them?

Yeung: Well, under the past incentive award scheme, the sponsors provide incentives to our athletes in different games, including Olympics, Asian Games, and also the National Games. So, hopefully the National Games next year will be covered by the incentive scheme. But the details will be announced later.

Chan: Right. And another eye-catching point about this National Games is that, I think you have told me, that there has been an overwhelming response from the public when you call for volunteers. And will there be any more opportunities for new volunteers to join and participate in this great event in Hong Kong?

Yeung: Well, we received a very encouraging response in our volunteer recruitment campaign. We started recruiting volunteers in July 2024, and during the two-month campaign, we received over 30,000 applicants, which exceed our original target of 10,000 applications. So, we are now in the process of selecting volunteers. And in view of the good response, we already raised the ceiling, the number of volunteers from 10,000 to 15,000, which is to give more members of the public to participate in the Games and volunteer. And actually volunteer work is very important for all major games, including the coming National Games, because the volunteers, they do not only provide services, they are actually the ambassadors of the whole city. So, we hope to recruit more volunteers and the best candidates, so that they can show the athletes and also the visitors the best side of Hong Kong.

Chan: When will you announce another round of recruiting again?

Yeung: Unfortunately, the recruitment deadline has passed.

Chan: Right.

Yeung: And we received very good response. So, we will not do another round.

Chan: Right. One of the things in the 15th 5-year plan … 14th 5-year plan, is the integration of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. And having this National Games held in three cities, I think is the first step towards that. How do you think this has actually helped the integration? Because you being on the front line, I mean, it is easy to say on policy this is what you are going to do. How do you find working with our counterparts? What are their strengths or what is our niche? And what do we have to look for?

Yeung: Well, actually, the development of the Greater Bay area is a national strategy. And over the past years, we have been discussing with our Guangdong and Macao counterparts on how to promote sports cooperation and exchanges in the GBA. And a few years ago, we came up with the idea that, how about we organize a game together, because this is very concrete. When we work together to organize a game, that is a real form of cooperation. So, that is how the idea of bidding the National Games come up. And when you said what are the advantages of our neighbors, say, because in Guangdong, Guangdong is a very big place …

Chan: Indeed.

Yeung: A lot of big population, and they have a lot of resources, in terms of sports facilities and venues. And also they have hosted many big games before. Like Guangzhou itself, it has hosted the Asian Games and also the National Games. So, they are very experienced in this field. And in Macao, in the past few years, they have also organized several very good sports events. So, this time, we can combine our strengths together to organize the National Games. During our discussion in the past year, one of the common goals of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, is to organize a National Games with GBA characteristics.

Chan: Right.

Yeung: We want to showcase to the whole country what GBA is for, what we can provide. And that is … now we are discussing how to introduce GBA elements in this National Games. So, hopefully next year, you and also the people all over the country can see a brand new National Games with special GBA features.

Chan: Right. TK, I think in the last part of the show, I am going to ask you a very direct question because you have been … you are a great sportsman yourself. I heard you play squash very well, even in golf and soccer, and you have been a Sports Commissioner for quite some time, now you are in office. With Hong Kong's putting more and more effort to make Hong Kong a hub for sports, like they are putting the Sports Institute, now they have the Kai Tak Sports Park, we have the athletes, how far can we go in Hong Kong?

Yeung: Well, I think our development in sports is just, I think, we are catching up, we are just taking off. So, I think we still have a lot of things we can do and there are a lot of potentials. Say, in terms of our efforts, achievements, the performance on court, as shown in the recent games, we have achieved good results. And in terms of sports for all, the number of participation, participants in sports, are also growing. So, in the future, I think we need to enhance the professional standard of our sports sector, and also to develop sports as an industry. I think in these two areas, we still … there is room for further improvement. And this is also the direction set by the government. So, hopefully together with the sports sector and also the media, and also all sectors of the community, we can enhance our sports further. And sports actually can do a lot for our community.

Chan: Right. So, thank you, TK, for giving us a closer look at how Hong Kong is preparing for the 15th National Games. This event will leave a lasting legacy for Hong Kong, not only in sports development, but also in solidifying our role within the vibrant Greater Bay Area. Thank you for joining us and have a good evening!