IOC’s Bach says Greater Bay Area poised for Olympic hosting

In The News

As the 15th National Games continue, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary President Thomas Bach said the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a region with strong potential to host the Olympic Games.

Bach made his remarks while watching the rugby sevens event at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, accompanied by local sports figures, including Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong President Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, Honorary Secretary General Edgar Yang Joe-tsi, and National Games Coordination Office Head Yeung Tak-keung.

He said that the GBA possesses numerous international-standard facilities, which would support future Olympic ambitions.

When asked about the possibility of a 2036 Olympic bid, Hong Kong media outlets reported that Bach acknowledged the idea as worth exploring.

While he noted that venues might be spread across the region, he cited the successful hosting of large-scale events like the National Games as evidence of the area’s organizational capacity and readiness.

On the topic of preparing for a potential Olympic bid, Bach observed that the GBA is moving in a promising direction. He pointed to the growing number of international sporting events held in the region as proof of its increasing readiness.

As cited in a video by Xinhua, Bach said, “Just keep going. This is what you can say to all the athletes. It’s a fantastic area, it’s a fantastic organization and the games are great, and I hope the Greater Bay Area will look for even more, also international sports events.”

“We have so many facilities, the people are enthusiastic in sport, and the organization is really excellent, so I can only encourage the area to continue to promote and support sport.”

The 15th National Games, jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, opened on Sunday and will run until Nov. 21.