Hong Kong athletes must not face music in anthem row
- Serious action needs to be taken against organisers of sporting events should Hong Kong protest song continue to be played instead of ‘March of the Volunteers’
A costly or embarrassing blunder usually ensures that the same mistake is not made twice. A case in point is the uproar over the playing of a protest song aimed at the Hong Kong government, instead of the national anthem, at a rugby competition in South Korea involving a team from the city.
The authorities had put new rules in place to prevent any repetition, but it has happened again, this time at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in Dubai.
A video posted online shows the protest song being played instead of “March of the Volunteers” during a medal ceremony at which Hong Kong’s Susanna Lin was awarded gold. Thankfully, the new rules did not prove entirely futile.
When she heard the protest song, Lin followed advice given to athletes, making the timeout “T” sign with her hands to alert organisers to the blunder. As a result the song was stopped and the national anthem played.
But how did it get this far? After all, the new rules were designed to prevent similar mistakes and to guide city teams on how to behave should they recur. Team leaders are responsible for ensuring event organisers have the right anthem and flag.
It seems everyone played their part, and event organisers confirmed the team had provided the right anthem upon arrival, but to no avail.
Police are again investigating what went wrong. Organisers explained that a team of volunteers from various countries, not officials responsible, downloaded anthems from the internet, instead of using the one given.
It was a serious error that prompted a protest after the previous incident.
Investigations, reviews of guidelines and apologies are all very well, but such repeated incidents are farcical. Sports authorities both here and abroad need to go the extra mile to ensure the correct anthem is played.
A proposal for the team leader to double check each time it is about to be played is welcome. Then another blunder can occur only through negligence or deliberate failure to comply.
It would then be time for officials to take the matter to government level through diplomatic channels. Lin is to be commended for upholding the dignity of Hong Kong, but it is unfair for elite athletes representing the city to face such politically sensitive issues.
