"Let the world celebrate the best of the human capacity”

The president of the Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, Timothy Fok opposes anyone who may want to exploit the Olympic Games for political ends.

How important is it for Hong Kong to co-host the Olympic Games? Is anything significant going to change in local sports?

Timothy Fok – It was an honour bestowed on Hong Kong by the IOC to stage the Olympics equestrian events under the auspices of BOGOC. In being the venue for these events, Hong Kong is to become an Olympic city which should be a catalyst to the development of a sports culture in our community.

What do you expect in terms of performance from the Hong Kong athletes?

I am not of the habit to predict the results of any athlete in any Games for that could prove to be a jinx or an additional pressure on someone already trained and driven to perform at a level worthy of a champion – and, to me, anyone who is primed for the Olympics is already a winner and anything else is a bonus. The Games are about the feats in winning, yes, and are equally about the human beings who compete, whether a medallist or not, and their superhuman efforts that inspire us.

Does China have any chance to top the medals chart? And who do you think will be the greatest athletes coming out of these Games?

Again, whether the Chinese athletes will top the medal table depends on many, variable factors. One of the appeals of Olympic sports is that the outcome is so very difficult to predict for whoever the athlete and whatever the sport. There is no doubt a resolve in the host nation to ensure that their athletes not only perform at their optimal best but do so with a grace that will make proud the compatriots and make comfortable the guests. You will certainly see the Chinese people meet and, if not, exceed the expectations of the Olympic movement.

As who may be the equivalent of Mark Spitz or Jesse Owen in these Games is not for anyone, not even the athletes themselves, to predict. The very best of the best may succeed or falter under such enormous pressure. This is one of the thrills of the Olympics – the utter unpredictability and the drama behind the heroes, whether predictable or unsung. In the Games we are always surprised by those who emerge from obscurity to achieve great things, those from countries and territories not known for sports who win, if not medals, our hearts.

Having in mind all the development and excitement around the event, would you say that Beijing and China already won even before the Games started?

In a sense, yes, any country or region with the privilege of having one of its cities host the Olympics makes it a winner. But the winning to which you allude is more than the right to boast, rather a chance to showcase its culture and hospitality.

With all the protests and controversy around it, the Olympic torch relay did more good or bad to the Games?

I am always leery of discussing politics that may infringe upon the whole Olympic movement. One of the cardinal Olympic principles is to keep the troubles of the everyday world from the Games and let the world celebrate the best of the human capacity. I am naive in that I share this conviction and I ache in my heart to realize that not everyone shares this belief and may want to exploit the Games for political ends. This is counter to the raison d’être of the Olympics as envisioned by the Greeks some three thousand years ago and revived by the founders of the modern Games.

The Olympic torch does not belong to Beijing and will not belong to London in a few years time. The Olympic torch is a universal symbol of peace and goodwill, and should be respected as such.

It was announced that there’s a chance of a terrorist attack in Hong Kong during the games. Do you believe in such a possibility?

Regarding that reference to a terrorist plot being hatched against Hong Kong during the Games, let me say that

security is an everyday concern and is not exclusive to the Olympics. We have trust in the training and competence of our security people and we are always vigilant. What must be done, though, is not to let security be so airtight as to stifle or detract from the enjoyment of the Games.

Everyone is talking about the security issue. Unfortunately, I think I’m still an old fashion leader, even if I have to admit that things are changing. I remember watching the Olympic film called Chariots of Fire; at that time the great controversy was if athletes should run on Sunday or not. Now there’s a much bigger demand for success and, unfortunately, security has become very much a part of the Games.

I’m sure you’ve also watched Munich, about the terrorist attack against the Israeli delegation during the 1972 Olympic Games, right?

Of course, I did. And, yes, we all know that there will always be someone illegitimately willing to take the centre stage in such a big event as the Olympic Games. But we should also have in mind that the Olympic Games are really about thousands of the best young athletes from around the world gathering together for two or three weeks to perform at their best – and at the end of the day this moment belongs to them.

Can all these worries about security ultimately spoil the party?

Everything is a balance. There will be 68 heads of state in Beijing during the opening ceremony. Where else do you have that? Of course, that will require special security provisions. But at the same time let’s not forget they are going there not because of some sort of political agenda but because they are guests of the Olympic Committee. Hopefully, no matter who they are, they will be in a mood to celebrate this big sports festival.

Should the government ban people from entering Hong Kong that might disrupt the Games, even if they only wish to take part in peaceful demonstrations? And a few world leaders threatened to boycott the opening ceremony in protest of recent events in Tibet. What is your opinion about that stance?

Whether the authorities were to ban anyone from entering Hong Kong is strictly their prerogative. Every country or territory has its own set of criteria which is applied on any given day and for any contingency. Hong Kong is not an exception nor should the Olympics be.

As to whether there will be a “boycott”, how limited or how extensive, of the Olympics opening ceremony is a question for the guests themselves. As I said, these Games are about the 10,000 athletes and their performances and not about what political figures say or do.

How is Hong Kong going to benefit from these Games, having in mind that soon it will organize the East Asian Games?

Hong Kong wants to parlay the staging of the equestrian events for the Olympics into a spur to its hosting the East Asian Games next year. How well we fare will indicate to us how best to improve on our performance so that we will deliver with brio come 2009 for the EAG.

Two-countries organizations have become quite common in great sporting events, namely in soccer. What do you think about Hong Kong and Macau agreeing to organize together the Asian Games? Is it viable or desirable?

To have Hong Kong and Macau jointly host the Asian Games is not so novel a proposal ever since Japan and South Korea did so for the World Cup, but I must defer making any commitment on my part without discussing its feasibility with everyone involved, namely your authorities in your city, those in mine and the Olympic Council of Asia.

Macau’s athletes will not compete in the Beijing Games as Macau has not been admitted yet in the International Olympic Committee. Do you consider this situation unfair? What should Macau do in order to be accepted, after successfully staging the East Asian Games and the Asian Indoor Games?

You can count on me as a champion of Macau in the heart of the International Olympic Committee.

I was the one, as you may remember, who accompanied President Jacques Rogge to Macau for the opening ceremony of the 2007 Asian Indoor Games and I have never ceased to advocate the cause of a city with which I closely identify myself. What Macau has done in building these wonderful facilities and in hosting successfully in succession the East Asian Games, the Lusophone Games and the Asian Indoor Games merit consideration as a part of the Olympic movement. But one must show patience in the quest for membership in the Olympics per se for it is sometimes not a question of ability and commitment, rather also that of procedures and politics. Given a little more time, our common cause is sure to get a favourable hearing so that our shared dream can be realized.

After the Olympic Games, should China become a candidate to organize the World Cup of soccer? In that case, Hong Kong and Macau would be again natural choices to stage some of the group’s games?

FIFA shall decide on China’s candidacy were it to bid for the World Cup of football, the global game, the one that unifies the whole of humanity.

I share with you the hope that, yes, China should host the World Cup of football, the most beloved and widely played team sport in the country, and that, yes, Hong Kong and Macau should be sites for matches but that is in the future and for now let us concentrate on the Olympics. This is a fervent dream of mine to have Macau, which already has the necessary facilities, and Hong Kong, in train to build these, jointly offer our cities as venues for the most watched sporting contests. There is no more convincing proof of our football devotion than to offer a stage for the best of the game to be appreciated worldwide.

As president of the Hong Kong Football Association, what do you think should be done to dramatically increase the level of the game in the region?

Football is the most popular game in the world. This is the definition of a global game. My conviction and my campaign has been to convince my government here to devote more resources and build more amenities for people, youths in particular, to play the game so that the best will be identified and groomed to compete at a higher level. This way, with a football culture at the most basic level, we will rise as a football playing community. There is a universal public love for football and that is itself an engine for the governments to allocate resources for developing the homegrown game so that people not only watch but play it at the highest level.

What did impress you the most in the recently held Football European Championship?

Euro Cup is a sensation for football, not only in Europe but around the world, and the interest in Hong Kong and Macau was intense. In having seen how Austria and Switzerland did as joint host, I have hope that this feat can be, will be re-enacted in Asia for our edition of continental football. The revenue and interest generated were not only generated in Europe but worldwide. We in Hong Kong and Macau were riveted by the matches, whichever side for which we rooted.

by Ricardo Pinto

Stanley Ho “is my friend, mentor and confidant”

The father of Timothy Fok, the late Henry Fok Ying Tung (1923-2006), was one of the founders of STDM, the local company that held a monopoly on gambling in Macau for more than 40 years. However, he always refused to describe himself as a gambling executive and shortly before he died, he decided to donate all his shares in the company (almost 28 percent of the total, which made him the biggest individual shareholder) to a new local Foundation bearing his name, in order to transfer a significant part of the casino profits into charities. In his last years, he criticized STDM’s strongman Stanley Ho for emphasizing too much the gambling sector of their joint venture, and he even accused his partner of failing to distribute profits in a fair way.

Despite all the blame game, Timothy Fok does not show today any resentment towards Stanley Ho – on the contrary. “The rapport between our families, that of Dr Stanley Ho and that of mine, it transcends commerce for he was a close partner of my late father and is my friend, mentor and confidant,” he told Macau Closer. “Dr Ho is synonymous with Macau and not only for his business interests but also for his philanthropy. Dr Ho is a keen sportsman who delights only in winning. May be this is reason for his success. The bond between our families will strengthen and together we will ensure that Macau can live up to its credo which is, like that of Hong Kong, a model of one country, two systems at work – and play.”

The Macau Fok Ying Tung Charity Foundation, which was set up in 20002 under the supervision of the Macau SAR Government, is now supporting a

number of investments in social activities, both in Macau and in Mainland China. According to Timothy Fok, its role is being extended to the whole Pearl River Delta Region, as integration among different cities in this area has become more and more a reality.

In all, his late father has donated around US $100 million to sports development in China in the past three decades. The most recent example was the “Water Cube,” the nickname for the National Aquatics Centre, where swimming events of the Beijing Olympic Games are going to take place. He paid one-fifth of the 1 billion yuan (125 million U.S. dollars) needed to build it, which is one among other reasons for Timothy Fok to say, “It’s a pity my father won’t watch the 2008 Olympic Games.”