On the one hand - Hong Kong, but on the other?? I really must stop sounding like an economist ...
Talk about fluctuations. The early favourite losing almost all momentum from the outset, and even though the gap narrowed towards the end, the clear winner based on strength, skill and tenacity was .... definitely Fiji!
Oh! You thought I was talking about that other event - the annointing of Hong Kong's next Chief Executive? (Well, you can't really call it an election can you, when hardly anybody votes). More about that in a minute.
But over the weekend, Hong Kong was at its best. As a tolerant host of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Rugby Sevens, welcoming hordes of overseas visitors, some of whose behaviour and habits would seem outlandish but which was all pretty good natured. I have not seen the attendance figures, but I would be surprised if they were not a record. And - yes I am biased - but so good to see the "auld alliance" back together of Cathay Pacific and HSBC - and even better to see helping to present some of the prizes, HSBC's former Chairman Sir Willie Purves whose early involvement in the Sevens set Hong Kong off on the track of creating what surely must be adjudged one of the best Sevens tournaments in the world. No, THE best Sevens!! Hong Kong does it very well, and although our police force were at full stretch on Sunday with the various events going on - they were unobtrusive. Good for them! Good for us!
And for the other event? What was apparently pre-ordained, was not to be.
But after all the shenanigans at least we were spared the ignominy of having re-runs and second votes. And if the outcome was not what you wanted - sorry, that's life. But you know what - having got it over can we just now get on with it?
That of course is unlikely to happen. Already we have the analysts, the re-analysts, the commentators who commentate on the comments made by the analysts all trying to give their definitive opinions on what happened, what went wrong, what went right, who is to blame. Is it really any surprise that the first four letters of the word analyst are so wonderfully descriptive?
I thought Henry Tang's description of why he didn't get the position were the most sensible of the whole campaign - "I didn't get enough votes". Well said Henry. I think it is a shame that whoever was advising you did such a bad job, and it is also a pity if the powers that be decided to hang you out to dry, in the interests of - well - themselves really.
The facts seem simple:
a) CY Leung has received the mandate to be CE of Hong Kong for the next five years.
b) For whoever is paying attention to us - China in particular, the rest of the world, our trading partners, our competitors (think Singapore, think Shanghai) - we need to demonstrate that Hong Kong is somewhere to be taken seriously, and that we have a lot to offer.
c) We have had an acrimonious and debilitating run up to the events of this last weekend, making us look rather juvenile. We have some ground to recover.
If we want to drive Hong Kong further into "backwater" status, then let's just carry on as we are, but if we have any pride left in our city - and the Rugby events of the last weekend have left a very positive impression in the minds of many well-placed visitors - then now, right now, is the time to move on.
That includes trying to ensure that C Y Leung is willing to fulfill many of his statements, recognising that the "Occupy Hong Kong" movement under the HSBC Building in Central has made its point (apparently - because I never did see the point of it) and it is time to pack up and move "because you are achieving nothing other than making our city look untidy", and learning from the experiences we have just gone through in how to mismanage public relations.
There is much to be done, and as usual - it is up to us! The "blame" games shouldn't even start. What's done is done - get over it. Wouldn't it be nice if for once we could all try and pull in the one direction and to do what is right for Hong Kong? Then we will know the identity of the REAL winner.
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