Hong Kong surfers urge government to lift beach ban for Olympics bid
Local group launches petition asking LCSD to relax ban, say it has meant they cannot compete at National Games, Olympics
A Hong Kong surfing body has launched a petition urging the local government to relax its ban on the sport, saying doing so would allow the city to follow mainland China’s example of producing Olympic-calibre athletes.
Bryan Ng Yu-fong, chairman and founder of the Hong Kong, China Surfing and Standup Paddle Association, said the petition had around 300 signatures and was aimed at highlighting community support and enabling discussions on how it could be safely practised in the city.
Surfing is banned at public beaches in Hong Kong, leaving few places for enthusiasts to practise, but Ng believed the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) was keen to back the sport.
“We would like to approach the government with this petition, in a civilised way, and present them with evidence [about how people feel],” Ng said.
“We understand that sports need to be regulated, and we can help. It is a safe sport, and everywhere else in the world is doing it. Also, we now see that China is promoting surfing, so surely Hong Kong will want to follow their example.”
Surfing debuted at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, and mainland China sent its first athlete, the then 15-year-old Yang Siqi, to compete at the Paris Games last year.