Hong Kong has demonstrated its capability to host large-scale events that involve multiple sports, with the new Kai Tak Sports Park proving its world-class versatility during the National Games, according to Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office in the SAR.

Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, he said the facility’s ability to go from staging one sporting event to being ready to host another involving a different sport in just 24 hours marks a significant achievement for the city.

The selection of events for Hong Kong was strategic, focusing on sports in which local elite athletes have historically excelled.

However, Yeung insisted that the real triumph was in the performance of the new infrastructure.

"We aimed to create an international-level venue, and practical experience has shown it works excellently for large competitions," said Yeung, who was involved in the sports park's design.

He pointed to the rapid conversion of the indoor arena from a handball competition to a fencing venue as a prime example of the park's efficiency.

"In many other places, venues tend to specialise in just one sport. However, we were flexible enough to have a facility that could make the switchover between different sporting events in a short time, which isn't easy," he said.

"This time, we’ve successfully shown that we can shift from handball to fencing seamlessly, and both sets of athletes felt very good about it."

Beyond the sports themselves, the Games integrated cultural and artistic performances between the semi-final and final events to enhance the experience for fans.

Yeung noted that this approach, used in events such as handball, received high ratings and showcased the Sports Park's potential as a hub for both sports and culture.

On attendance levels, he reported that approximately 170,000 tickets, or 45 percent of the over 300,000 available for the eight local events, changed hands.

Weekend sessions were a major success, with over 90 percent of tickets sold.

Yeung acknowledged that weekday attendance was lower for some daytime events, an unavoidable consequence of the Games' compressed schedule.

"Since the National Games had to be completed in just over two weeks, some events were scheduled during the day when people were at work or school," he said.

To mitigate this, organisers scheduled events for afternoons and evenings where possible, which he said resulted in "quite good" weekday turnouts.

Buoyed by this momentum, Yeung confirmed that plans were afoot to continue hosting international sports events and explore new opportunities for the development of various sports in Hong Kong.