Hong Kong ice hockey body advises other sport associations on how to avoid anthem blunders ahead submitting report
- Tell organisers before team departs that searching for anthem online will produce incorrect results, team leader says
- Ice hockey body prepares to submit report next week detailing plans to improve its governance
Hong Kong’s ice hockey body at the centre of a national anthem blunder plans to submit a report next week detailing how it will improve its governance, as its team leader has reminded other sports associations to warn tournament organisers not to search for the song online.
Annie Kwan Yuen-yee gave the reminder on Friday, ahead of the submission of the report to the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, which might affect whether the government cuts funding to the ice hockey team as a penalty for the recent blunder.
“Before departure, we should contact the organisers and remind them not to search for our national anthem online,” she told a radio programme.
“We need to tell them most of the results of a search for the Hong Kong national anthem on the internet are incorrect, even the ones at the top. These words must be in blue and bold.”
When the women’s team returned home after bagging a historic gold in an international competition in Romania earlier this week, Kwan said the association’s management officials should bear the responsibility and athletes should not be affected in any way.
Reflecting on the mix-up on Friday, she said the national anthem should be saved on a USB stick given to the person in charge of organising the event and attached in an email sent to the individual.
“As I have told the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, I would not eat or sleep until I wait for the person in charge to pass them the USB. I will even block the door [to get it done],” she said.
She said she would use body language to convey her request as some of them may not speak much English.
She revealed that after the mix-up, her ice hockey team considered bringing their amplifier to play the national anthem.
Athlete Chloe Chan Pui-wing told the same programme athletes were competing with other teams on the same level and could be promoted to higher divisions if they won.
“For every sport, you have to start somewhere,” she said, adding there was no need for others to comment on which division they were in. “The point is whether we have the heart to make progress and perform better in the sport that we love.”
