While interested, more than half of HK folks don't think the Olympics should happen

More than half of Hongkongers don't think that the upcoming Olympic Games should take place due to COVID-19, despite a majority of them being interested in it, said the latest Ipsos' study. On average, across the 29 markets surveyed, only 43% said the event should go ahead.

In Hong Kong, 46% of respondents said it should take place, while 41% of their counterparts in China said the Olympic Games should go ahead. 

There was greatest support for the Olympics taking place as scheduled in Turkey (71%), Saudi Arabia (66%), Russia (61%) and Poland (60%). Those in host nation Japan were among the most doubtful with 22% said the Olympics should go ahead, while 78% said it shouldn’t. South Korea showed the lowest levels of support for the Olympics taking place (14%).

However, 62% of worldwide respondents agreed that the Olympics would be an important opportunity for the world to come together following the pandemic, including 66% in Hong Kong. Turkey and Saudi Arabia once again showed the highest levels of agreement with this statement (81% in both). South Korea, Japan and Germany were the only markets where fewer than 50% of respondents stated that the Olympics presents this opportunity to come together. Meanwhile, two-thirds (65%)of global respondents agreed that the Olympics "bring my country together", rising to 92% in China (against 65% in Hong Kong) and 84% in India. But this fell to 36% in Japan and 37% in Germany.

Moreover, there was a mixed picture of the levels of interest of the Olympics. In Hong Kong, 55% of respondents said they were very interested or somewhat interested. India, South Africa and China were most interested. On the flip side, Belgium, South Korea and Japan were least engaged. 

Looking across various Olympics events, most of the respondents were interested in football, followed by athletics or track and field, aquatics, which  encompass swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo, then gymnastics. Meanwhile, Hong Kong people were the most interested in Aquatics, out of all 29 markets surveyed.

When it comes to the impact on the society, the majority of global respondents (80%) said that the Olympics could inspire younger generations to participate in sport (79% in Hong Kong). Regarding whether there was too much nationalism on display at the Olympics, 55% of global respondents agreed, while It stood at 64% in Hong Kong.

Most recently, Olympics organisers have fully banned spectators from the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo to curb the spread of COVID-19. The decision made on 8 July came hours after Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga placed Tokyo under a state of emergency until 22 August clashing with the dates on which Olympics is to be held, organisers said in an official statement on the website. 

Previously, Tokyo Olympic organisers banned international spectators and as of 21 June, said venues could only fill up to 50% of capacity which allowed for 10,000 domestic spectators. Citizens in Japan have also urged the government to cancel the Olympics. More recently on 9 July, Japanese news agency Kyodo News said a group of citizens sought a court injunction last Friday to halt the upcoming games.

This announcement certainly deals a blow to Tokyo in which ticket sales also account for a chunk of revenue. The organisers had also which increased spending for the games by 22% last December to US$15.4 billion. Reuters previously said that the estimated bill for the games’ postponement now stands at US$3 billion as of July. Approximately 4.48 million tickets were sold by organisers and the Japanese government had anticipated “a tourism windfall” before restrictions came into place, Reuters said. Ticket sales, which were initially pegged at about US$815 million, will now be reduced to zero as a result of the spectator ban.

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