The annual extravaganza is moving to the Kai Tak Sports Park for the first time, having been held at the Hong Kong Stadium for decades.
Law’s reassurance came after lawmakers in a Legislative Council meeting asked why officials, the sports park and organisers of a snooker tournament earlier this month had come up with different versions about wrong information given out to people at the event.
Paul Tse cited incidents where spectators were told they had to leave before midnight and a sign wrongly showed that there was a “curfew” in Hong Kong.
Describing the tournament as “a Cinderella event,” Tse said it’s important for authorities to clean up their act at the sevens for a better fan experience.
For his part, Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien expressed concern over whether the government could get the sports park to have a designated spokesperson in time for the sevens, which will kick off in less than 10 days.
In response, Law said the park is actively looking into this and that officials are paying close attention in a bid to minimise the risks of problems popping up.
“The organisers and government departments will have to work hand in hand. This is no exception. On top of that, this is a new venue. We need enhanced communications,” she told the lawmakers.
“The sports commissioner, permanent secretaries and I myself are all involved. We have been in close communication with the operator. We want the Rugby Sevens to be a successful event.”
A bar association had earlier complained that it was unable to host a bar festival in Kai Tak during the tournament, saying it didn’t have enough time to obtain licences.
Law said the administration is willing to streamline procedures and offer as much help to different parties as possible when it comes to hosting mega events.
She stressed the authorities never received a formal application, and that she personally checked and found that had the association applied, there would have been enough time for a licence to be approved.
