Hong Kong’s delegation for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has been presented with the territory’s flag during a ceremony at Government House ©OCA

Hong Kong’s delegation for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has been presented with the territory’s flag during a ceremony at Government House.

Guest of honour CY Leung, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was accompanied by Lau Kong-wah, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Home Affairs, in presenting the flag to Timothy Fok, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) of Hong Kong.

Also in attendance was Ronnie Wong, honorary secretary general of the SF&OC, and Hong Kong Chef de Mission Kenneth Fok, as well as representatives from the Government, National Sports Associations and other stakeholders.

Hong Kong will be sending a 73-strong delegation to Rio 2016, including 37 athletes to participate in eight sports - athletics, badminton, cycling, fencing, rowing, swimming, table tennis and windsurfing.

The delegation is due to start moving into the Olympic Village from July 24 with the team welcome ceremony scheduled for August 4, the day before the Games begin.

CY Leung (centre), chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was the guest of honour ©OCA
CY Leung (centre), chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was the guest of honour ©OCA

Hong Kong first competed at the Olympics in 1952, then as a British colony.

It has since participated at every Summer Olympics, except for the boycotted 1980 Games in Moscow.

Hong Kong won its first medal at Atlanta 1996 thanks to Lee Lai Shan’s victory in the women’s sailboard.

Table tennis players Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching combined to win men’s doubles silver at Athens 2004, while Hong Kong’s third and most recent medal was a women’s keirin bronze for cyclist Lee Wai Sze at London 2012.