A spate of blunders involving a protest song being played instead of China’s national anthem at international events has cast a shadow over Hong Kong’s sports community.
The latest error saw “Glory to Hong Kong”, associated with civil unrest in the city in 2019, played at an ice hockey match in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This time, the consequences could be serious. The Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association allegedly failed to follow guidelines intended to prevent such mistakes. It faces suspension from the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee and a loss of funding. The move has sparked a row between the ice hockey group and the federation over where the blame lies and concerns about the impact of any sanctions on the players.
The blunders have been unfortunate. But they should not be difficult to fix. The wrong song was first played at a rugby sevens match in South Korea in November. It caused a storm in Hong Kong.
A complaint was made to South Korea’s consul general. A police investigation by the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, no less, was ordered. Rugby players and officials were questioned and quickly cleared of blame. A local sports official called for South Korea to be banned from hosting events and a lawmaker made an outrageous call for the rugby team to be disbanded.
The furore can, in part, be explained by the sensitivity surrounding anything linked to the 2019 protests. There was a suspicion the blunder was part of a dark plot to undermine Hong Kong. It is now accepted this was an innocent mistake by two interns. There was no ulterior motive. It always looked that way.
Sports events are often staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. Mistakes happen. The other anthem blunders involving Hong Kong appear to have been made in similar circumstances.
That is why the sports federation established new guidelines. Sports associations must provide event organisers with a copy of the national anthem and check to ensure it is used. Athletes are required to make a T-sign if they notice anything amiss. This was done during the ice hockey incident and, before that, in a powerlifting competition. Proceedings then stop while the problem is fixed.
The ice hockey association has been given a month to provide a report and a road map for improving its corporate governance. It has hit back at the federation, which it says should take some of the blame. The full picture should be revealed.
Event organisers have tended to grab what they mistakenly think is the correct national anthem from the internet, where “Glory to Hong Kong” gets top billing on Google’s search engine. Officials have blamed Google for this. But organisers should ensure information staff access is accurate. The distinction between the protest song and the national anthem is quickly apparent from a search. One of the top results is a Post story about the blunders.
Organisers of events have a responsibility to ensure the right anthem is played. Local sports teams must do their best to ensure mistakes are not made. But the burden should not fall on the athletes. Their job is to focus on their performance. Hong Kong’s ice hockey players are understandably worried and frustrated that the controversy overshadowed their impressive medal-winning feat in Bosnia.
Sports minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung promised on Saturday that their training and ability to compete in international competitions would not be affected by any budget cut. But this might not be easy to achieve. When funding is withdrawn, it is usually the athletes who suffer.
National anthem blunders are not limited to Hong Kong. There have been many over the years. The opening to rock band Linkin Park’s song “Numb” was even played instead of Malta’s anthem at a football match in 2014. It was met with laughter and humorous applause.
The problems involving the anthem are likely to disappear with greater awareness in the wake of the controversies. Then the focus can return to where it should be, the performance and development of our sporting stars.