Hong Kong is investing up to HK$30 million (US$3.8 million) more in its National Games team as the city goes all out to optimise every aspect and ensure the smooth running of eight locally hosted events, according to the sports commissioner. Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi Kin-pan said on Saturday that the Hong Kong venues designated for the National Games had completed test runs and were ready, with the countdown to the 15th edition of the Games in November under way. “Work in the coming three months will focus on optimising every aspect to ensure the events will be held smoothly,” he added, referring to minor issues such as how to ensure athletes had the most convenient access back to locker rooms after finishing their warm-ups. The Games, which run from November 9 to 21, will feature more than 400 events across 34 sports staged in the Greater Bay Area, which comprises Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong province cities. Hong Kong will host eight sports – fencing, men’s under-22 basketball, track cycling, golf, men’s handball, rugby sevens, triathlon and beach volleyball. Choi also revealed at the forum that the government would allocate HK$20 million to HK$30 million to support athletes’ expenses during the Games, such as logistics and accommodation. This is in addition to the HK$15 million already budgeted for their preparation, including training. Speaking at the same event, held at the Hong Kong News-Expo, Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office in Hong Kong, said the city had assembled its largest-ever team of athletes for the Games. According to him, the team comprises up to 700 athletes who will participate in more than 20 events. “It is a big contrast to the previous games in which no more than 200 Hong Kong athletes attended in around a dozen events,” he said. He also expressed confidence in the local athletes achieving greater results, as some would benefit from a home advantage. Yeung also warned those wishing to purchase tickets to only trust official websites. “Any message that asks you to click on the link for the Games’ tickets is fake and residents who received those links are advised to report that to the police,” he said. Tickets for the Games will be sold this month via a real-name system and in phases. The first batch will be available from August 28 for 17 events, including four of the eight competition sports staged in Hong Kong – rugby sevens, beach volleyball, men’s handball, and men’s under-22 basketball. Tickets for the remaining four Hong Kong-hosted sports will be released in phases throughout September and October. Individuals can purchase up to six tickets per regular event, and each ticket may be used only once per event by an attendee holding valid identification. Ticket prices will be offered in nine tiers, ranging from 30 yuan to 800 yuan (US$4 to US$111). More than five million tickets in total will be available for purchase. The government previously estimated that about 100,000 visitors from mainland China and other parts of the world would travel to the city for the Games.