HKers putting rope skipping on the map in Paris
The Hong Kong, China Olympic delegation isn’t the only team representing the SAR in Paris – the city’s rope skipping performance squad is also in the French capital to push for their sport to be included in future editions of the Games. The rope skipping troupe is amping up the atmosphere at the Paris Games by performing at the Place de la Concorde, which has become the heart of urban sports.  For the first time in history, various urban disciplines, such as 3x3 basketball, street and park skateboarding, BMX freestyle and breaking, have been grouped together at one site.  Though these sports have increasingly been adopted in the past two Games, there are those, like rope skipping, that still have not made their way to the Olympic stage.  That's what the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association, China, is hoping to change. They are among a number of groups from around the world who have been invited to perform at the open stage of Parc Urbain to promote urban culture.  Tina Wong, the association's chairperson, said performing in Paris is an opportunity they could not pass up, even though the Games conflicted with the jump rope Asian Championships in Japan.  “We are here on the Olympic platform. We actually have the goal or you could say dream to have jump rope skipping to be included in the Olympics in 2032 in Australia because Australia is one the strongest countries in this sport. This is a more long-term goal. On a short-term basis, we are aiming for Asia,” she said.  “Actually last year, the Olympic Council of Asia has already granted rope skipping the provisional membership, so meaning we are already included in Asia. This year, we are here. Next year, we are aiming to go to the Youth Asian Games and pave the way for the Asian Games and then the Olympics. We hope with more support, we can officially be on the Olympic stage soon.”  Four athletes from the SAR have made their way to Paris to perform, including 18-year-old Yuen Hiu-tung, who said that the atmosphere was unbelievable.  “It’s like a dream to come here because even though we paid to come here, it’s a very valuable experience for us because we don’t know when jump rope can get into [the] Olympics, so it is a good experience to promote jump rope, and also letting everyone know how is jump rope [works] and how everyone is enjoying this sport,” she said.