The Hong Kong government’s Mega Events Fund -- "which provides major financial backing" for a number of int'l sports events including HK$15M ($1.93M) for December’s UBS Hong Kong Golf Open -- is "unlikely to exist when its five-year term expires in March," an official said, according to Chan Kin-wa of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. The government on Tuesday "declined to confirm the future of the fund," which supports three major sports tournaments in '16 and November’s Lumières Hong Kong. An official who has long experience organizing sports events in Hong Kong said that the government "had no intention of continuing the fund after March." The official said, "They are considering different options, but the MEF will definitely cease to exist after March. The annual Dragon Boat Carnival will be seriously affected as they are planning to stage next year’s event in June and it is unlikely the government could establish another fund in such a short period of time after the MEF ceases to exist." A spokesperson for the Tourism Commission, which oversees the MEF, said, "The government is reviewing the way forward of the MEF and announcement will be made in due course." Golf will become "the biggest loser" should the MEF cease to exist. The sport has received a total of HK$53M ($6.83M) to stage four Hong Kong Open tournaments and another HK$8M ($1.03M) for the 2011 Women’s Open. European Tour Championship Dir Vicky Jones, whose organization sanctions the event, said that MEF funding "has helped to bring big names to Hong Kong such as last year’s winner Justin Rose" (SCMP, 10/18).
