HK badminton player and association say black jersey worn at Olympics as sponsorship deal expired

Hong Kong badminton player Angus Ng was heavily criticised by a pro-Beijing lawmaker and some netizens for wearing a black jersey that was missing Hong Kong's Bauhinia emblem in a Tokyo Olympics match on Saturday. Meanwhile the Hong Kong Badminton Association (HKBA) said it had asked sponsors of Hong Kong Olympic delegation FILA to provide a uniform for Ng as his previous sponsorship with YONEX expired prior to the Olympic Games. 

In a statement, HKBA said that before the Olympic Games, Ng failed to extend its sponsorship with YONEX. With very limited time, Ng decided to pick his jersey on his own to join the game. After realising the incident, HKBA immediately asked FILA, sponsors of the Hong Kong Olympic delegation, to offer him jerseys in upcoming matches. 

HKBA also added that according to regulations, players only need to wear a jersey that contains his or her name, and the national Olympic Committee that he or she is representing, so Ng was deemed eligible to join the match on Saturday as approved by the referee. HKBA vowed to improve communication channels and thanked Hongkongers for their support to Ng. 

Ng won the men’s singles match in group play stage on Saturday by 2:0 but was heavily criticised by Nicholas Muk, a member of pro-Beijing party Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), and netizens as he wore a black jersey which was similar to the black-clad protesters in 2019 anti-extradition protests.

In his page on Facebook, Muk said, “I strongly condemn Ng for wearing a black shirt without the HKSAR flag when he is representing Hong Kong! Please withdraw from the game if you do not want to represent Hong Kong, China.” However, Muk's page was deleted this morning. 

Ng later explained the issue on his Instagram account. "I understand that a lot of people care about my jersey as it was not from the same brand that I usually wore. In my previous post, I already explained that I have no jersey sponsorships right now, so I need to wear my own jersey... Also I was not authorised to print the Hong Kong flag on my jersey so I cannot do so without any approval," he said. 

"However, I have been proud to represent Hong Kong and personally I like the bauhinia (on the Hong Kong flag) so much. Regarding the issue, I am handling it actively in Tokyo and hope to finish it before the next match. Lastly, I hope every one of you focus on athletes' performances, and not my jersey. Thank you for your support and care," he added. 

Hong Kong badminton team head coach Tim He Yiming said athletes usually wear clothes given by their sponsors in the Olympics, according to a report from The Standard. He said the Olympics has strict rules on the size of clothes, but not on the regional and national flag and Ng did not violate the rules. Otherwise, he would not be able to join the match and this is what everybody should know.

According to the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance, Hong Kong's flag, regional emblem or their designs must not be displayed or used in trademarks or advertisements; or other occasions on which or places at which the display or use of the regional flag or regional emblem or their designs is restricted or prohibited under a stipulation made by the chief executive. 

Photo courtesy: Angus Ng's Instagram