The Hong Kong, China Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association on Friday said its chairwoman, Josephine Ip, has resigned.

On its website, the association said Ip's move was down to personal reasons.

First vice-chairman Yu Sum-por will take over from Ip.

The Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) said it is aware of Ip's resignation and respects the decision made by her and the association.

In recent months, the SAR government twice criticised Ip for remarks she made in public.

Earlier this month, she said an event featuring competitors representing the Hong Kong SAR and Chinese Taipei had lifters from "13 countries".

In another incident, she described Hong Kong as a "relatively small country", which the association said was a slip of the tongue.

The Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau on Friday expressed its gratitude to the SF&OC for addressing Ip's blunders, which it described as "completely unacceptable."

The bureau again urged the SF&OC to enhance training for its affiliates, to prevent such incidents from happening again.