The "first tentative step" toward "finally breaking ground on the proposed Sports Hub on the old Kai Tak airport site was approved" at a Hong Kong Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, according to Chan Kin-wa of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. After three rounds of discussions, "including a motion to adjourn the submission," the government secured the initial funding support to kick off the HK$25B ($3.2B) project. The money "still needs a final endorsement from the council’s Finance Committee, and another round of inquiries is not unlikely." Major Sports Events Committee Vice-Chair Terry Smith said, "I am delighted the preliminary funding has now been approved. This will now allow the government to move ahead with all speed to finalize the project design brief and cost plan and put them in a position sometime next year to seek approval for whole project funding." Hong Kong squash coach Tony Choi Yuk-kwan, a member of the Sports Commission, "was delighted." He said, "We need quality facilities before we can bid for major international events. Without the hardware, we can't do anything. Hong Kong is a major international city and it should live up to its reputation" (SCMP, 5/6).
