Hong Kong has ‘window of opportunity’ for 2036 Olympics bid, working group says

The group behind a potentially audacious bid to bring the 2036 Olympics to Hong Kong said the IOC president’s decision to revisit the bidding process “created an important window of opportunity” for the city.

On Friday, Kirsty Coventry announced she had paused the fast-tracking of a preferred bidder, a signature policy of predecessor Thomas Bach, in a concession to International Olympic Committee members who have wanted more say in decisions under new leadership.

That was seen as not only stalling the momentum India was believed to have built as favourites to win hosting rights, but also opening the door to a Hong Kong-driven bid to bring an Olympics to China for a third time.

A working group, comprised of business leaders and sports officials, has quietly been building support behind the scenes, with the intention of bidding to stage the Games in the Greater Bay Area.

In a statement sent to the Post on Saturday, it said “discussions to date have been extremely positive and, from our perspective, heading in the right direction”.

Sources said business chambers in the city had reacted positively to the group’s proposal, while influential figures in several sporting governing bodies had given it serious consideration.