Behind the medal moments: HK's record-breaking 16,000 volunteer corps at National Games
發佈日期: 2025-11-20 22:02
TVB News
Behind the thrill and medal-chasing matchups at the National Games are the city's 16,000 volunteers who help ensure the events run smoothly from start to finish.
Drawn from all walks of life and with a wide age range from 15 to over 80, they also form the city's largest-ever volunteer force.
A familiar sight at every National Games venue in Hong Kong are these squads, donning signature volunteer uniforms.
Among the most senior -- is 82-year-old Grandma Wong.
She says it's a dream come true to be a volunteer at the National Games.
Why? Grandma Wong in her youth was a gold-medal-winning martial artist in international and cross-strait competitions and later served as a long-time martial arts coach.
But Grandma Wong missed the chance to volunteer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Upon learning that Hong Kong would be co-hosting the multi-sport national tournament, she immediately applied through her centre for seniors.
She says having been an athlete, she knows the pivotal roles of volunteers in helping the contests run hiccup-free, adding that she can shop for souvenirs during the breaks.
Tate Wai, a medical student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, juggles nine-hour volunteer shifts on top of a heavy academic load. But he says the experience is invaluable.
TATE WAI: "As a medical student, we often don't have the opportunity to participate in these mega events, and I do think being a volunteer here does provide me with the platform to not only understand how mega events are conducted, but also to develop my interpersonal skills and to really practise how to work collaboratively in a team,
and perhaps being one of the younger team members here, we can cover for other volunteers."
Each volunteer will put in about three to five days of service during the National Games. Apart from competition-related activities, some volunteers will also take on duties of receiving athletes from different provinces.
Some volunteers have been handpicked as ceremonial assistants at award presentations, with special training in etiquette and posture.
The Hong Kong National Games Coordination Office received more than 30,000 volunteer applications before some 16,000 were chosen.
