HK Olympic panel specifies protocols about national anthem

The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) on Tuesday issued enhanced guidelines on handling the playing of the national anthem and raising of the regional flag for Hong Kong athletes and teams engaging in international sports events, which will take effect from June 1.

The team leader should be responsible for bringing along the toolkit, and passing one hard copy of China's national anthem and one regional flag of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to the event organizer, who should confirm receipt of the materials in writing by signing the standard acknowledgment receipt, according to the latest enhancements.

In anticipation that the national anthem will be played or the regional flag will be raised, the team leader must check on site with the event organizer on the national anthem and regional flag once again to ensure that the correct version will be used, according to the new guidelines.

If the organizer refuses to let the team leader confirm on site, the team leader must not allow team members to attend the sports events or awards presentation ceremonies.