With China’s 15th National Games set for November, Hong Kong’s preparations are well under way. From Kai Tak Sports Park cutting its teeth on international events to the mobilisation of 15,000 local volunteers with training and test events, the city’s preparations signal that the Games are more than a sporting event. It is a platform for rethinking how Hong Kong engages with its Greater Bay Area neighbours, the city’s youth and the nation as a whole. This year marks the first time that Hong Kong, together with Guangdong and Macau, will co-host the Games. It’s a powerful step forward for the Greater Bay Area, not just in sports cooperation, but in soft power and civic connection. It is already shaping new experiences for Hong Kong’s next generation, from students and athletes to volunteers. At the heart of this effort is the HK$30 billion (US$3.82 billion) Kai Tak Sports Park, officially opened in March. Hong Kong’s largest-ever sports infrastructure investment features a 50,000-seat main stadium, a 10,000-seat arena and a 5,000-seat community sports ground. Since opening, it has hosted major events including the World Snooker Grand Prix and Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, which broke attendance records with over 130,000 tickets sold. These are just the start. With Kai Tak Sports Park expected to look at hosting more than 100 large-scale events annually to remain commercially viable, the National Games will be an anchor event. Beyond headline numbers, the Games will offer something more enduring: a test of whether Hong Kong can be a regional convenor, not just a competitor. Hong Kong will host eight events in the Games; in all, around 150,000 visitors, including athletes, coaches, spectators and the media, are expected. Based on earlier government estimates that various mega-events in the first half of the year would attract around 840,000 visitors to Hong Kong and generate some HK$3.3 billion in consumption expenditure, the National Games could generate around HK$600 million in visitor spending, and probably more. The impact will not just be economic, but cultural as well. The 15,000 local volunteers are not only being trained in event logistics but also exposed to systems-level thinking, sustainability and problem-solving. These are skills that go a long way in Hong Kong’s events economy. Moreover, as volunteers travel between venues, they will begin to internalise the scale of national development and the complexity of regional cooperation. This is civic education through action. It builds familiarity and confidence, ingredients often missing from textbook-style discussions about identity or national belonging. Delivering a successful Games goes beyond polished venues. There will be real operational hurdles, from coordinating policies across three jurisdictions to handling traffic surges and venue capacity limits. Managed well, these challenges will also be opportunities to show that the Greater Bay Area framework can operate successfully. The organising committee should consider joint operating teams, enhanced shuttle services and neighbourhood-led activation to ensure the Games feel both efficient and inclusive. Public engagement is also essential. Many residents may remain indifferent unless the Games feel locally relevant. Local districts, schools and sports clubs should be engaged to organise lead-up activities, from school tournaments to community viewing zones. Roadshows and pop-up exhibitions can bring the excitement into neighbourhoods, turning spectators into stakeholders. As of 2023, the total output of China’s sports industry had reached 3.67 trillion yuan (US$509.58 billion), with more than 500 million people nationwide participating regularly in physical activity. These numbers reflect a coordinated national strategy, from mass fitness campaigns to specialised athlete training and education. For Hong Kong’s youths, seeing successful athletes up close is an opportunity to connect personal ambition with national excellence; this is a chance to inspire the next generation of sporting success. The National Games shouldn’t just pass through Hong Kong; it should leave a legacy. I suggest the Games serve as a launch pad to set up regular Greater Bay Area youth sports exchanges. A dedicated Greater Bay Area Youth Games, held every two years, could extend the Games’ effect and help shape a pipeline of regular cross-border interaction. There are practical steps we can take, which include simplifying border clearance for youth spectators through dedicated group customs procedures and extending opening hours at key ports. Organisers can also work with partners to offer discounted or free transport between cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau and Hong Kong. Going a step further, we could even consider special ticketing zones for students in events that resonate most with them. In addition, we should encourage schools and sports academies to form Greater Bay Area-wide leagues and bolster exchanges by hosting joint training camps and coaching clinics. By linking sports with broader cultural and creative festivals, we can make sports a medium for education, innovation and cultural pride. If we do this well, the National Games will become more than a calendar event. It will mark a new chapter in Hong Kong’s integration through shared efforts. The Games will become a living classroom, a field for friendship and a lens through which our young people can see their place in a much bigger story. While the medals will matter and the performances will inspire, the true legacy will be measured in something else – what we’ve built and what lives on. This journey has begun, and we must not let it end in November.