By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-29 16:06:03 | Updated at 2025-04-01 03:11:52
2 days ago
Kai Tak Sports Park bosses brushed off complaints from fans about their flagship venue on Saturday, as a litany of organisational failures took the shine off the second day of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
For the second time in 24 hours, concession stands ran out of food and drinks, customers waited 45 minutes or more to be served, and there were stories of chaos and confusion among staff members.
There were issues outside Kai Tak Stadium, too, with gates remaining shut in the face of large numbers of people trying to enter the ground, once more raising questions about the effectiveness of the docile test events officials ran earlier in the year.
And there were long waits for taxis, made worse by the chilly temperatures that hit Hong Kong over the weekend, with the last of those leaving for the evening advised to find other means of getting home.
One official, who did not wish to be named, said it was obvious the park had “significantly underestimated” what was required to stage the Sevens, while “significantly overestimating” its capacity to do so.
At least there were two strong performances from the city’s teams in their respective Melrose Claymores competitions to warm fans.
