The making of a modest mega-event: Hong Kong and the 2009 East Asian games

The making of a modest mega-event: Hong Kong and the 2009 East Asian games

• Bridges, Brian Lingnan University

International Journal of the History of Sport, 28(16), 2384-2397, 2011

Routledge

2011

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GH Sport Science, Health & Welfare

Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games 2008 Beijing Olympics History Social Sciences - Other Topics

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Unknown or Unspecified

In December 2009, Hong Kong hosted its largest ever multi-sport event, the East Asian Games (EAG). Overshadowed initially by the excitement of the 2008 Beijing Olympics - and Hong Kong's part in hosting the equestrian events - the Hong Kong public was slow to appreciate the significance of the EAG. This essay examines the history of sports development in Hong Kong and the relatively 'underdeveloped' sporting culture, the expectations of the Hong Kong government and sporting community, and the impact and legacies of the EAG in terms of social change, economic costs and benefits, national prestige and pride, and education and culture. It argues that, for all the collective euphoria over Hong Kong winning the football gold medal, the EAG brought only limited - and short-term - economic benefits and attitudinal changes regarding sport. However, it did demonstrate that Hong Kong could, albeit with some assistance from China, host a multi-sport event and it did encourage some within and without government to seriously consider bidding for the much larger Asian Games.
[Copyright of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2011.626692]

• English

Journal Articles

• 09523367

• 10.1080/09523367.2011.626692

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/75948625

2014-07-11