Sporting legacy
Look to the future: Why there is more than the Games on Hong Kong’s horizon.
Beyond 2025
Capitalising on the Games
Built on the former site of Hong Kong’s airport, Kai Tak Sports Park has transformed Kowloon East into one of the city’s most dynamic new districts.
But beyond the high-profile visitors, the Sports Park has also integrated neatly into the neighbourhood and the wider city. “We’ve succeeded in bringing the local community together,” says Kai Tak Sports Park CEO John Sharkey. “The key is that we’ve got some big pulls: lifestyle, shopping and sport, culture and art tours.”
The question of legacy is central. Co-hosting the 15th National Games of the People’s Republic of China will be a defining moment for Hong Kong, but it is what comes next that will shape the city’s long-term positioning. The Games will reinforce Hong Kong’s reputation as a place that people come to not only for sporting spectacle but also for the quality of life.
Families can spend time at the playgrounds EpicLand or Playfield 5. Others drop by for the gallery tours or make use of the jogging and cycling paths or open courts. The result is a destination that appeals as much to casual visitors as it does diehard sports fans.
“We want it to be a neighbourhood that you can come and interact with,” says Sharkey. “It’s a place to participate in community sport, shop, and do fitness activities. We’re focused on the Dining Cove and the East Village, and how we can make that a more engaging space.” Sharkey says that the sports park has been a driver for economic growth. “There are careers here. We had more than 1,000 people coming to look at job opportunities working for Kai Tak Sports Park events in the latest recruitment campaign.”
Other cities around the world have shown how powerful these multipurpose spaces can be. London’s Olympic Park, redeveloped after the 2012 Summer Olympics, has helped bring new life to an under-served part of the city while Singapore’s Sports Hub has shown how leisure, retail and community facilities can come together in one place. Like these projects, Kai Tak Sports Park has set new standards, helping the city to shine on the world stage while enhancing daily life for its residents.
