Sports and Society in Hong Kong and Macau

Project Year: 2017-2018

Funded by the Greater China Studies Center, March 2017

This project aims to study a series of questions in relation to sports and society- the characteristics of the sports development in Hong Kong and Macau after they became a part of China? Why are the local authorities so eager to launch them? What are the effects of the programs and in what areas do they still need to improve? What are the implications of those programs for the broader socio-cultural development and identity of Hong Kong and Macau since the handovers? Has the hosting of sporting mega-events, such as the equestrian events of the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 East Asian Games by Hong Kong and the 2005 East Asian games by Macau, produced last impacts on the hosts and their societies? While extensive research has been undertaken on China’s sports history and its role in the global sporting community, relatively little academic coverage has been given to Hong Kong and Macau. Hence, these questions deserve an answer.