By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-09 12:01:27 | Updated at 2025-03-09 19:53:16
7 hours ago
A green group has found that plastic bottled water was provided to VIPs at the snooker World Grand Prix at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Arena despite rules prohibiting spectators from having bottles in the venue for safety reasons.
Greenpeace revealed the double standard in management on Sunday, renewing calls for a reusable cup system at the city’s largest sports venue to strike a balance between security and environmental concerns.
Leanne Tam Wing-lam, a campaigner with the organisation, said the inconsistent rules not only created unfairness but also generated unnecessary waste.
“The sports commissioner earlier said the ban on containers was based on safety considerations, but such considerations appeared to vary depending on the ticket prices,” she said.
“The safety concern has been negated when both plastic bottles and spectators’ own cups were allowed in the venue, and such arrangement also generated unnecessary disposable waste.”
The HK$30 billion (US$3.84 billion) Kai Tak Sports Park, which comprises a 50,000-seat main stadium and two other smaller facilities, is a centrepiece of the government’s efforts to become a mega-events hub.
