Hong Kong Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong Man-wai, who is vying for the Legislative Council seat representing the travel industry, has highlighted her past efforts in promoting “racing tourism” when questioned by election authorities about her suitability for the sector.
According to documents scrutinised by the Post on Thursday, the 31-year-old fencing star has received backing from some of the city’s business heavyweights, including Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, chairman and managing director of Wharf Holdings, and veteran HSBC banker Peter Wong Tung-shun.
Sino Group chairman Daryl Ng Win-kong and Kerry Properties chairman Kuok Khoon Hua also showed up earlier to support her election bid.
In a letter marked “urgent” and dated Monday evening, just hours after Kong submitted her application, the returning officer for the tourism functional constituency requested supplementary information from her before validating her nominations.
That included a request for Kong to elaborate on her personal experience and professional or occupational qualifications within the sector, which would demonstrate her ability to represent and contribute to the interests of the tourism industry.
The former athlete was also asked whether she was a “member, partner, officer or employee” of a corporate elector in the sector.
In her four-page response, Kong stressed her past efforts to advance racing tourism, a strategy unveiled in the government’s travel industry blueprint last year, during her tenure at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
“As external affairs manager at the Jockey Club, I joined the ‘Racing Tourism Ecosystem’ project. We turned Sha Tin Racecourse into a premier Asian sports tourism complex, enriching tourists’ experiences and opening new directions for city tourism,” she said.
“I starred in the promotional video of the club’s recruitment and ‘2024 Paris Olympics Hong Kong Equestrian Day’, showcasing Hong Kong’s opportunities from an athlete’s perspective and promoting racing tourism.”
Kong also spoke about her efforts to promote sports tourism, citing her role in organising a commercial event with international tennis stars and attending an exhibition fencing match at the Hong Kong Palace Museum this year.
“As an elite gold medallist and the external affairs manager of the Jockey Club, I represented Hong Kong at high-level forums, including United Nations conferences, to promote Hong Kong’s image and highlight the city’s international tourism appeal,” she said.
Kong pointed to her involvement in the club’s efforts to attract visitors from the Greater Bay Area, including a partnership with the China Travel Service to strengthen support for tourism and cultural exchange.
She also said she had witnessed the club’s cooperation with the Guangdong Provincial Sports Federation to promote the sports economy and rural tourism.
Kong added that she received recognition from industry and business leaders, including Stephen Ng, Kuok and Travel Industry Council chairman Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, who endorsed her during her campaign launch.
She will run against district councillor Ma Yat-chiu, who operates a travel agency and is an accredited tourist guide.
The Legislative Council Ordinance requires functional constituency candidates who are not constituents to demonstrate a “substantial connection” with the sector.
The Electoral Affairs Commission’s Nominations Advisory Committees, made up of solicitors and barristers, advise returning officers on candidates’ eligibility.
When veteran lawmaker and lawyer Paul Tse Wai-chun ran in the tourism constituency in 2008, he faced questions about his ties to the industry despite owning a travel agency. He was cleared to run and went on to win.
Instances of candidates being disqualified for lacking a substantial connection have been rare.
In the 2016 Election Committee subsector election, six engineering-sector aspirants who were construction workers were barred from running after failing to demonstrate sufficient ties to the industry.
Kong has secured nominations from 14 constituents, mostly hotel owners and firms, including Miramar Group, Guangdong (International) Hotel Management, Regal Hotels and the Air China Development Corporation.
She was also backed by 16 Election Committee nominees, including Major Sports Events Committee chairman Wilfred Ng Sau-kei and violinist Jue Yao.
Her opponent, Ma, garnered 17 constituent nominations, primarily from small and medium-sized travel agencies, alongside 17 Election Committee nominations.
Under the revamped “patriots-only” electoral system, functional constituency candidates must secure at least 10 nominations each from registered electors and Election Committee members.
Kong, who won gold in the women’s individual epee at the Paris Olympic Games last year and retired from her sports career right after, soon joined the Jockey Club as an assistant external affairs manager – a role suspended recently in the run-up to the election. - South China Morning Post
