Opinion | A sports dispute resolution system is long overdue in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s growing enthusiasm for sport following medal wins at the Olympics and desire to host international “mega” events could be crucial for the city. A vibrant sports culture could even emerge. This is long overdue.

But as more public money is pumped into the sector and more elite competitions take place, the potential for disputes will also increase.

This may include competition results, doping, disciplinary matters, contracts, sponsorship or broadcasting rights and may involve athletes, sports associations and other related parties.

The development of mechanisms to resolve sporting disputes is a global trend. But Hong Kong is barely out of the starting blocks. The city does not have a clear, consistent process for resolving such differences. One needs to be set up.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu confirmed in his keynote address last week that setting up a sports dispute resolution system was being explored. The Justice Ministry said in a paper to the Legislative Council in May that the local sports industry was interested in a neutral, fair and efficient dispute resolution system. There was agreement among stakeholders that a mechanism to resolve differences would bring benefits.

It took us years to get to this point. The importance of the issue was highlighted by then-Justice Minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah in 2020 at a sports dispute resolution conference in the city. This summit was a “first step” in promoting arbitration and mediation in sport, she said.

Since then, Thailand has set up a sports arbitration center and last year the China Commission for Arbitration for Sport was established.