weekend PAGE 12 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012 CHINADAILY.COM.CN/WORLD CHINA DAILY ALL IN THE FAMILY

Generations of Foks continue to support Chinese Olympians, Fu Jing reports from London.

rom China’s first Olympic gold medal in 1984, to Beijing F2008 and the ongoing London Olympics, Hong Kong’s rags- to-riches Fok family has taken it as a journey. Along the way, their lasting passion and contributions have helped Chinese athletes shine at the global competitions. Timothy Fok — with three sons and soon-to-be daughter-in-law Guo Jingjing, a well-recognized Olympic champion — is now in London cheer- ing on the athletes and mobilizing resources to promote sports, culture and education for China and other parts of the world. “I feel lucky I can become not only a witness but also a contributor dur- ing the journey,” says Fok, who has “several hats” on his head at the Hong Kong, national and global levels. Apart from being a business execu- tive who manages a multi-billion- dollar business empire handed down by his late father Fok Ying-tung, Fok has been president of the Sports Fed- eration and Olympic Committee since 1997, when Hong Kong was returned to China. FU TIAN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE Born in 1946, Fok has also been a International Olympic Committee member Timothy Fok is at the center of media attention at the launching ceremony of China House in London. member of the International Olympic Committee and now he is enlisted in building more than 20 modern sports the IOC commission for organizing centers, gymnasiums, and facilities for the 31st Games in Rio de Janeiro aft er nurturing talents in the mainland and playing such a role for the 29th Sum- Hong Kong. mer Games in Beijing. He believes In addition, the foundation has also the 2008 Games were one of the most I will focus on inspiring promoted badminton and Chinese successful in Olympic history. youth participation in sports chess, two popular sports in the coun- Th ough he says football is “a failure and also bringing sports, try, and nurtured talent to compete in for him” and his favorite sport is ten- ‘‘ the international arena. nis, Fok also acts as president of Hong culture and education into It has also offered various incen- Kong Football Association. one All in all, I am going to tives and bonuses to encourage sports All the titles and responsibilities advocate the concept of excellence. In the early 1970s, the have resulted from the family’s last- senior Fok successfully helped China ing contribution and most emotional sports for all.” restore its position in the internation- moments in life. “We are passionate TIMOTHY FOK al sports arena. During the past two about Olympics mainly because it is IOC MEMBER FROM HONG KONG decades, the family contributed to beyond sports and gold medals,” says Beijing’s bids in hosting Olympics. Fok, whose family has a history of For Timothy Fok, his vision has gone donating many sporting and cultural attractive city to work and live in. beyond a strong body and mind for facilities throughout China. “It is more “Th is is my late father’s dream and the nation. about legacies and showcasing and PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY we will fulfi ll it,” says Fok. His father “China now needs to find instru- inspiring a country.” Kenneth Fok, the eldest son of Timothy Fok, and his fi ancee Guo Jingjing, four- had a special love for Nansha, a place ments to tell stories to the rest of the In London, he says, the opening cer- time Olympic women’s diving champion, watch the women’s 3m springboard the Fok family has ancestral roots. world and I believe sports and Olym- emony last Friday showcased the Brit- synchronized diving competition at the London Olympics. It is reported that the elder Fok had pics are ideal,” he says. ish way of life and immense cultural visited Nansha 500 times. Once Fok’s Th e Fok family may be in expansion heritage. Both the Beijing and Lon- “My father confessed to me that the ing sports, culture and education into father famously said: “I will not do mode aft er former diving queen Guo don Games had the stamp of the UK’s moment had been the most emotional one,” says Fok. “All in all, I am going business in my homeland. I will not Jingjing and his son Kenneth Fok get own cultural heritages, says Fok, who one in his life,” Fok recalls, adding that to advocate the concept of sports for take a single cent from it. My invest- married. Timothy Fok says he is happy obtained part of his education in Brit- his father was a very traditional Chinese all, (instead of the wealthy) and new ments and donations here are meant to see that they have a wonderful wed- ain and his native city was a British col- with a poor and diffi cult childhood and lifestyles among the Chinese youth.” to boost the economy and make the ding. “But they will make up their ony. For his family, he says, both Games who found it easy to hide feelings. The younger Fok says he will use nation wealthy and strong.” own mind and I may be the last one “were very emotional moments.” However, when they asked Chinese Nansha, a growing modern coastal From the beginning, as the senior to know,” says Fok. At the Beijing Olympics, he says, sports offi cials how the gold medalist city in Guangdong province, as a base Fok was a frail person himself, he It is reported that the couple will be “I can still remember the countdown could be rewarded, the answer was, for the plan. believed that for a country and its wed later this year. at the opening … it was an emotion- “They can be treated to a nice din- With his family’s investment, Nansha, citizens to meet the challenges in life Aft er winning four gold medals in al moment which nearly half of the ner.” Th en, father and son decided to close to Hong Kong, has been turning it was necessary to have a strong body the Olympics, Guo retired last year. world’s population was focusing on. reward Chinese Olympic gold medal- into an active and fl ourishing business and mind. And Guo was with Fok’s family in And Chinese history was condensed ists with a kilogram of gold. environment supported by a wide vari- In support of this belief, he invested London to support the current Games. into hours.” Th e practice was sustained until the ety of social amenities and services from HK$100 million ($13 million) in the “She is one of the most accom- For Fok and his father, the most Beijing Games. Now, the Fok family a fi shing town in the 1980s. Sports and Physical Education Foun- plished athletes,” says Fok. “She is emotional Olympic moment hap- is thinking of changing the reward Fok says he will recruit China’s out- dation in 1984 and devoted much very disciplined, very focused. She is pened in 1984, at the Los Angles plan, since the number of sponsors for standing to advocate sports for all and personal time and eff ort developing a pleasant young lady.” Olympics, when Chinese athlete Xu Chinese athletes has grown so much. new lifestyles in Nansha. With sports, sports and sports related activities. Up Haifeng won the country’s fi rst gold “I will focus on inspiring youth par- culture and education in one pack- to now, this foundation has contrib- Contact the writer at medal in Olympics history. ticipation in sports and also bring- age, Fok says Nansha will become an uted in excess of HK$400 million to [email protected]. Games starve host city’s Chinese restaurants

By WANG YU avoiding going out because of traffic last week. London graduate student Yang Xinyi same time during the Olympic period, in London concerns. “Although the proportion of Chinese said there were only eight other custom- which makes management and custom- Tang said central London is emptier visitors is higher than before, the total ers at the Chinese restaurant she and er service diffi cult,” Tang said. Many Chinese restaurants in London than usual. Other Chinese restaurant number of customers dropped over the her boyfriend ate at on the night of the “Our seats are booked up three weeks had expected the 2012 Olympics to bring owners agreed and said the Olympics have last few days since July 20,” she said. opening ceremony. in advance. Our restaurant is running a business glut but are actually fi nding contributed nothing to their businesses. She said the visitors are busy watching “Because the restaurants don’t have at full capacity during the week. Th ere leaner patronage than normal. London’s transport authorities forecast the Games and don’t have enough time TVs and the transport system is in chaos, are no low and peak days, from Sunday Tang in the Black Bean Chinese res- up to 1 million visitors a day in London to tour Chinatown. my friends preferred to go to local bars or to Saturday.” taurant’s 49-year-old manager is one of and 3 million journeys added to the usu- And local residents and overseas stu- other places with big-screen TVs to cel- Tang’s restaurant is located on Baker them. Tang Yixiang said only one in 10 al 12 million on the Games’ busiest days, dents — two major customer bases — ebrate the opening ceremony,” Yang said. Street, which, like Chinatown, is far from of his customers came to his Chinatown the Financial Times reported. are heeding warnings to avoid central But some Chinese eateries have actu- the Olympic venues. eatery because of the Games. Chinatown hosts about half of the London’s transport chaos. ally gotten more business because of He said his eatery would be busy three “It’s far fewer than we had hoped,” city’s roughly 100 restaurants. Th e upside for customers, Lucy said, the Games. or four — rather than seven — days a Tang said. Lucy, who refused to give her full is that making a reservation is easier Bright Courtyard Club’s managing week before the Games. Th e 17 days of the Games have actu- name, has been working in the Baozi Inn than usual. director Kevin Tang was worried his staff Tang also said weekly sales have ally seen a decline in restaurant custom- Chinese restaurant for over a year. She Diners have also sensed the bleakness might not be able to handle the rush. doubled during the Olympics to reach ers because regular local customers are said her restaurant suff ered “a slump” of business. Goldsmiths University of “Many groups of guests come at the 40,000-50,000 pounds ($62,000-78,000).