Unrest and violent protests have plagued Hong Kong for nearly 15 weeks, sparked by a proposed extradition bill. Although the bill was withdrawn, protests continue to ensue. The Hong Kong Open tennis tournament, which attracted thousands of local fans and foreign visitors last year, was initially scheduled to take place from October 5-13 at Victoria Park. Due to intense dialogues with key stakeholders, the Hong Kong Tourism Board decided to postpone the event to guarantee a hiccup-free event in the future.
It's worth noting that in recent weeks, protesters have targeted transportation in and out of the international airport in Hong Kong, leading to flight cancellations on multiple days in early August. With that in mind, the tournament organizers opted to reschedule the event, as the event attracts a significant number of local spectators and international visitors.
This marks the second high-profile sports event in Hong Kong to be affected by unrest, following the cancellation of the Hong Kong ASTC Sprint Triathlon Asia Cup and the Asian Aquathlon Championships at the beginning of September.
Hong Kong has been the limelight for numerous protests since June, following the Hong Kong Parliament's proposal of a new extradition law. Many Hongkongers saw this as further encroachment of the mainland into Hong Kong's affairs, leading to mass protests which eventually prompted the withdrawal of the bill by the Chief Executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. However, the protests have persevered and now incorporate demands for full democracy and an investigation into police actions during the protests.
Sources: - edition.cnn.com
Nonetheless, the exact reasons why the Hong Kong Open tennis tournament was postponed were not clearly disclosed, and the tournament is still supposedly scheduled to take place in 2025, according to the ATP calendar.
