The organizer of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, a major sports event in Hong Kong, announced on Sept. 16 the cancellation of this year’s event, mentioning that lengthy pending approval from the Hong Kong Government. Meanwhile, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is being promoted heavily, and the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships will be held in Thailand instead of Hong Kong next year. The anti-epidemic policy of Hong Kong has already driven talents out of the territory as well as international events.
The news came to the attention of Bernard Charnwut Chan, former Non-official Convenor of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, who pointed out that if the Government could not provide a clear timeline for reopening the border to international tourists, the international sports events might not return to Hong Kong and they will be held in other regions.