Hong Kong’s growing ambitions to shine on the global sporting stage do not just count on the competence of individual athletes. Conducive government policies, adequate funding and good governance in the sport sector are just as crucial.

Following the Audit Commission’s exposure of management and funding problems in 2020, the government rightly acknowledged that enhancing corporate governance of national sports associations is a key priority in promoting professionalism in sports.

Positive efforts have since been made, with guidelines targeting board member appointments, integrity management, athlete selection, coach management, memberships and administration issues ranging from equal opportunities, sexual harassment prevention, child protection, complaint handling, finance, procurement and human resources management.

As of March 31, 39 of the 85 associations have already met 80 per cent or more of the “core governance competencies”, according to a government paper. A Legislative Council panel meeting on April 21 heard that compliance has further improved, with 70 associations fully meeting the requirements as of April 13. But with 15 yet to comply, closer oversight is needed. The move by the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong to establish an annual review mechanism for governance standards is a positive step forward.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said it would be unrealistic to cut off funding for sports associations should they fail to comply with the standards by the end of the year as required. Be that as it may, more proactive and effective efforts are needed to enhance compliance. This goes beyond just having rules and targets laid down on paper. Sports bodies must also make better efforts to put their house in order or risk losing funding and support if they fail to live up to expectations.

The government’s expenditure on sports has increased from around HK$4.8 billion (US$612.5 million) in 2016-17 to an estimated HK$8.1 billion in 2026-27, representing an increase of nearly 70 per cent. That makes governance, performance and accountability all the more important.