RTHK to air Asian Para Games live with sign language, public viewings
RTHK TV31 will broadcast Asian Para Games group stages and key events live from tomorrow to October 24 with sign language interpretation. Hong Kong will send about 80 athletes across 10 sports, with public viewings at 18 districts and shopping malls.
RTHK TV31 will provide exclusive live broadcast in Hong Kong for the Asian Para Games group stages and key events starting tomorrow through October 24, featuring simultaneous sign language interpretation to promote social inclusion, the broadcaster announced.
The coverage will enable the public to cheer on para athletes from both the national team and the Hong Kong team. Senior Executive Producer at RTHK, Christine Yu, noted the positive social feedback received since RTHK's first major para-sports broadcast during the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.
Yu added that the broadcaster has mobilised dedicated manpower for this year's production, stressing that the live broadcast schedule may need to be adjusted in real time to track the progress of the athletes and the schedules of their upcoming matches. Intensive background research must also be coordinated to provide the hosts with more context for the audience, she said.
Joining the broadcast team is Daniel Chan Ho-yuen, who won a silver in wheelchair badminton for Hong Kong at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Having debuted as a host during last year's 15th National Games, the athlete expects to share the inspiring backstories or preparations of the para athletes when facing different opponents.
Live coverage of the 5th Asian Para Games will stream on RTHK TV31, RTHK's YouTube channel, its website, and the "RTHK On the Go" app. Public viewings will also be set up at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Asian Games Focal Sites" across 18 districts, as well as in various shopping malls.
Hong Kong will send a delegation of approximately 80 athletes to compete across 10 sports at the Games. During the launch rally and cheering event on Monday, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Raistlin Lau Chun praised the para athletes for embodying the resilient, never-give-up Hong Kong spirit, calling sports a vital bridge that unites the community.
Sign language interpreter Leung Hoi-yan expressed deep gratitude to RTHK for providing dedicated translation services, calling it a vital "window" that allows hearing-impaired audiences to fully immerse themselves in sports. Leung, who has been interpreting live sporting events for RTHK since the Tokyo Paralympics, said hearing-impaired individuals cannot fully comprehend athletes' performances without real-time sign language interpretation.
She noted that interpreting live sports presents unique challenges requiring extensive preparation, as interpreters must deeply study each discipline beforehand. Leung shared that online netizens have praised the interpreters' engaging and precise facial expressions, and she believes this attention helps promote sign language and raises public awareness.