He also said the city’s athletes had made “historic progress” by winning two gold and two bronze medals at the Games, which end on Sunday.
“The tireless professionalism and sportsmanship shown by each and every one of them made us proud,” he said.
“We may not all be Olympic champions, but we can all be champions of our own history. We can all live up to the spirit of the Olympic motto ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together’ in our efforts.”
Lee also said that the city is a great place to realize such ambitions, stressing the importance of the Hong Kong spirit of never giving up and always striving to achieve the best outcome.
The mayor stressed that Hong Kong’s youth are its greatest asset and that the government attaches great importance to youth development.
Thanks to its unparalleled connectivity and the country’s tireless support, Hong Kong offers young people unlimited development potential, he added.
“To our young people here today, believe in yourselves, trust your instincts and continue to outperform yourselves,” Lee said. “The future is in your hands. In your own hands.”
03:16
Two-time Paris Olympic bronze medalist Siobhan Haughey returns to Hong Kong
Two-time Paris Olympic bronze medalist Siobhan Haughey returns to Hong Kong
Kong, who is taking a break from full-time fencing and will begin her duties in the Jockey Club’s corporate department on Sunday, also spoke in a separate session after showing the audience her gold medal.
She said she did a lot of thinking and reflecting about her goals during the many hours of training, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when she had to maintain her top form due to the break from competition.
“It felt so selfish because people were sick and there was so much going on in the world and all I should care about was myself and my health and the hope of winning something like that. But it didn’t feel like it could change anything,” she said.
“Even though it was my passion and I could do it every day for the rest of my life, I had to find a purpose in it. And that was to be able to give something back, to hopefully inspire more people and more young people to dream, to work really hard and to enjoy every day.”
She also said that it was an honour to represent Hong Kong and echoed the city leader’s statement that “we are all champions”. She noted that each person is unique and that it is now her turn to “cheer on each and every one of you”.
In her new office role at the city’s oldest racing club, Kong will be responsible for liaising with stakeholders and working on projects in the areas of social affairs, youth affairs and sports development.
Prime Minister Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the government has introduced youth policy initiatives under the four pillars of “exploration,” “hope,” “empowerment” and “contribution,” as outlined in the Youth Development Plan released in 2022.
He said more than 10,000 people aged between 12 and 39 have so far signed up to Youth Link, a platform launched by the government last September to encourage young people’s participation in public affairs and help them develop diverse talents.
The city’s No. 2 official also pointed out that the authorities had organized and funded more than 200,000 exchange opportunities and internships in mainland China and abroad for the current fiscal year.
“Our efforts are not limited to policies and programs. We must build a future where all young people, just like our athletes, can reach their full potential,” he said.
“The energy, creativity and resilience of young people are the forces that will in turn shape a better future for society.”
The forum, an initiative proposed by the prime minister in his government address last year as part of an annual youth festival, was also attended by senior Beijing officials and deputy ministers from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Laos.
Attendees at the opening ceremony included Zheng Yanxiong, director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong, and Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ office in the city.
Xu Xiao, president of the All-China Youth Federation, also delivered a pre-recorded video address at the event.
Interior and Youth Minister Alice Mak Mei-kuen said the response to the event had exceeded all expectations, with more than 2,400 people registering to take part.
The number also includes nearly 500 from the mainland and other countries such as Singapore, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, she added.
The minister said that the foreign youth delegates were also offered guided tours of the science park and of the city’s attractions, such as the fishing village of Tai O.
