The Head of the National Games Coordination Office in Hong Kong, Yeung Tak-keung, said on Wednesday that the three regions hosting the competition are in the final stages of discussions for the opening torch relay.

In an exclusive interview with RTHK, Yeung said the route through Hong Kong will take in cultural, sport and tourism features.

"We hope to show the good and representative side of Hong Kong from the relay route to the scenery, so when we were picking the route, we took into consideration the cultural and sporting characteristics of Hong Kong, as well as which tourist spots are representative," he said.

Yeung added that the torchbearers will come not only from the athletics sector, but also from other parts of society, as a way to garner wider support.

Meanwhile, he said the list of athletes has almost been finalised as the Games will begin in around a month. More than 600 Hong Kong athletes will participate in 28 events.

Yeung said a cross-departmental command centre will ensure everything runs smoothly.

“We have strengthened our manpower allocation, including our government colleagues and volunteers. Our command centre, which is cross-department, involves departments such as those responsible for competition operations, IT systems, transport, security...Our centre will strengthen cooperation and preparations, so we can handle emergencies immediately," he said.

Co-hosted by Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau, the National Games will take place from November 9 to 21.