- Concern group formed by Election Committee sports sector members wants new Anti-epidemic Fund to help out individual coaches
- Survey finds 67 per cent of front-line coaches have lost all of their income due to the epidemic, while others expect to suffer
Members of the sports community urged the government to provide a subsidy of HK$10,000 to individual coaches who have been struggling to make a living since the coronavirus outbreak in January.
With the government due to announce details of a second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund subsidy scheme, the sports sector, which did not benefit from the first round of subsidies, should be taken care of, according to the Hong Kong Sports Alliance, a concern group.
The group, made up of all 15 members of the sports sector of the Election Committee, sent out questionnaires in mid-March to 79 of Hong Kong's sports associations, their members and district sports associations inquiring about the financial situation of their coaches.
"The situation is horrible," Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, convenor of the group and vice-president of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, said at an online press conference on Wednesday.
"We received responses from over 400 clubs or organisations out of 1,000 and most of their coaches cannot make ends meet in the epidemic, especially with the closure of schools and public facilities where most of these coaches earn their living.
"These are front line coaches who work tirelessly at the bottom of the pyramid to produce stars of the future and the government has to do something or we may lose their services, which will cost our elite development dearly," Fok said.
Hong Kong coaches struggle to survive amid Covid-19 pandemic
All these Election Committee members, which also include retired athletes such as Wong Kam-po, Amy Chan Lim-chee, Cheng Ka-ho and officials Yue Kwok-leung, Pui Kwan-kay and Tong Wai-lun, were all keen supporters of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor during the 2017 Hong Kong chief executive election.
Fok said the median earnings of these coaches are HK$20,000 per month, according to the survey, and therefore it is reasonable to ask for half of that amount as their subsidy.
The group also asked the Education Bureau to instruct schools to pay half of the coaching fee to their coaches, even if the schools have been closed. Fok said this just followed the case of the government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department which still pays its sports course instructors half of their fee despite running no courses during the epidemic.
The survey found that 67 per cent of the coaches have lost 100 per cent of their income due to the epidemic, while 60 per cent now have to work part-time jobs to earn their living.
Another 20 per cent have taken other full-time jobs, while almost half of the respondents are facing financial difficulties and another 28 per cent will face the same in a month.
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"Many of these coaches cannot earn their living once they stop work and need quick remedies," said Fok. "The government has announced there will be a second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund and the sports community should get priority on the list."
Fok said the Olympic Committee would set up a task force to screen coaches who need the subsidy and negotiate with the government. They would also ask for subsidies to clubs to cover their rent and other operation costs. This will be similar to the retail sector subsidy scheme, which gives each eligible store a one-off subsidy of HK$80,000.
Hong Kong Football Association chairman Pui, who also appeared at the press conference, said many coaches he knew are in despair. "Many of these coaches are self employed without benefits such as MPF, medical cover and bonuses, and now the epidemic has stopped them from earning their living through their own professional skills," Pui said.
"We hope the government would consider the importance of sports to society and lend them assistance in this critical moment."
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