7th April 2023 – (Hong Kong) The Sports Federation & Olympics Committee of Hong Kong (SF&OC) has come under fire from the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association (HKIHA) and players for its handling of a recent national anthem blunder. The incident took place on February 28 at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III in Bosnia, where the wrong anthem, a 2019 protest song, was played after Hong Kong’s victory over Iran in Group B, before the correct Chinese national anthem was subsequently played.
In a statement issued on Friday, the SF&OC stated that it had submitted a report to the SAR government, which included the HKIHA’s written explanation, as well as relevant emails and documents, providing all the facts regarding the anthem blunder. However, the HKIHA and players have criticised the SF&OC’s handling of the incident, and the SF&OC has initiated procedures to temporarily suspend the HKIHA’s membership, although the final decision will not be made by the SF&OC alone.
The team’s vice-captain, Alvin Sham Cheuk-him, expressed his disappointment with the SF&OC’s handling of the incident, stating that the players’ hard work was ignored, despite their sacrifices in time and money. “If the wrong song was never played, no one would know we have a match, and no one would even know that there is an ice hockey team representing Hong Kong,” Sham said. He also criticised the government’s response, calling it “contradictive,” as authorities may cut funding in a way that could affect the athletes. “Playing ice hockey is not easy already, and further cutting the funding basically means we shouldn’t play ice hockey anymore,” Sham added.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the HKIHA expressed its firm stance on the controversy, accusing the SF&OC of repeatedly making media comments that did not match with the facts. The statement also criticized the SF&OC for being disrespectful to the athletes’ hard work and achievements.
The SF&OC has urged the HKIHA to prepare a written report that presents all the facts and proposes manageable corporate governance solutions. The SF&OC’s statement issued on Friday emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in resolving the national anthem blunder incident. The SF&OC has also emphasized that the decision to temporarily suspend the HKIHA’s membership would not be made by the SF&OC alone, indicating that there may be further consultations and evaluations before a final decision is reached.
The HKIHA was earlier given a month to provide a written explanation and had pledged full cooperation with the SF&OC. However, the association’s criticism of the SF&OC’s handling of the incident and its firm stance on the controversy may indicate a strained relationship between the two organisations.
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