Hong Kong’s athletes delivered a strong performance at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, securing a total of 54 medals, including 11 golds, 19 silvers, and 24 bronzes. This achievement slightly surpassed the city’s previous total of 53 medals from the 2023 Games in Hangzhou, marked by improvements in gold and silver medal counts despite a decrease in bronze medals.
The Asian Games success coincides with the recent launch of Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, which aims to position sport as a key driver of economic and social development through 2030. The plan outlines significant increases in funding and the expansion of full-time elite athlete training programs at the Hong Kong Sports Institute over the next five years.
Hong Kong’s gold medals spanned a range of disciplines including swimming, wushu, rowing, squash, sailing, tennis, windsurfing, and rugby sevens. Notable figures include Olympic medal-winning swimmer Siobhan Haughey, tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam—who became the first Hong Kong athlete to secure Olympic qualification in tennis—and members of the rugby sevens squad. The water sports category stood out with four golds, highlighted by teenage windsurfing champions Wong Tsz-ho and Cheung Tsz-yuet, signaling potential for future development.
Wong Po-kee, head of the Hong Kong delegation, described the results as evidence of the city’s growing pool of sporting talent. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised the athletes on social media, emphasizing their role in demonstrating the value of hard work and dedication. Lee also noted the substantial government investment, amounting to billions of Hong Kong dollars annually, aimed at supporting elite athletes and expressed optimism that these efforts are beginning to yield tangible results.
Despite the optimism, concerns remain about sustaining this level of performance. Several key athletes, including Haughey and Olympic fencing gold medalist Cheung Ka-long, are approaching the ends of their careers, with few established successors ready to take their place. While younger competitors such as teenage swimmers Yeung Hoi-ching and Gilaine Ma show promise, particularly with their advancement to event finals, certain sports like track and field continue to lag, prompting discussion of possible interventions to revitalize development.
Secretary for Culture, Tourism and Sport Rosanna Law Shuk-pui highlighted tennis as an example of long-term investment paying off, noting that the sport has retained its Tier A elite funding status at the Hong Kong Sports Institute due to demonstrated potential.
The broader sport development strategy extends beyond elite athletes to engage the wider community. It includes certifications, hosting large-scale events such as the Hong Kong marathon and Hong Kong Sevens, and efforts to boost tourism and local economic activity through sports. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has contributed HK$375 million in cash awards to city medallists, with calls for increased support from other non-governmental sources.
At the 2026 Asian Games, China continued its dominance, achieving a record haul with 169 gold, 89 silver, and 83 bronze medals, topping the gold medal table for the twelfth consecutive time. Hong Kong looks ahead to the next Asian Games scheduled in Doha in 2030 or 2031 as a key milestone for assessing progress under its new sports plan. In the meantime, both Hong Kong and China will prepare for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics.