HONG KONG – Hong Kong, China has been approved to host the 2026 General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in, what officials said, a show of international confidence in the city’s sports capabilities.
The 2024 General Assembly of the ANOC made the announcement on Thursday, two days after the ANOC Executive Council took the decision at a meeting in Cascais, Portugal.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung participated in the bidding process, illustrating to ANOC that Hong Kong is an ideal place for hosting this important international sports meeting.
“We received a very strong proposal from our colleagues in Hong Kong and look forward to a very successful event in 2026,” ANOC President Robin Mitchell said after the ANOC Executive Council meeting.
Stressing that the ANOC General Assembly is unique in bringing the Olympic Movement together, he said, “We have no doubt Hong Kong will be an excellent host.”
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ANOC comprises 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and is responsible for protecting and advancing the interests of the world's NOCs and supporting their mission of promoting Olympic Values worldwide.
Thanking ANOC for its trust in Hong Kong, the city’s sports chief said: “Hong Kong's successful bid to host the 2026 ANOC General Assembly shows international confidence in Hong Kong's ability to host major sports events.”
The HKSAR government will fully support and guide the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China in hosting the meeting with a view to demonstrating the synergy between sports, convention and exhibition as well as tourism, “giving full play to Hong Kong's strengths in connecting with the world and telling good stories of Hong Kong”, he added.
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On Wednesday, Yeung met with Portugal’s Secretary of State for Sport Pedro Dias on Oct 30 to exchange views on the work and vision of the promotion of sports development in Hong Kong and Portugal, according to a government press release.
He also visited the Cidade do Futebol (Football City) of the Portuguese Football Federation in Lisbon and met with Federation's President Fernando Gomes to explore cooperation opportunities between the two places in promoting football development.
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Yeung visited the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda on Thursday and met with the curator to exchange views on ways to promote culture exchanges through museums.
