The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates wants special dispensation to hold its National Championships later this month ©HKAAA

The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) has called on the country's Government to grant it special dispensation to hold its National Championships later this month to ensure athletes can boost their chances of Olympic qualification.

The staging of the Hong Kong Athletics Championships, set to take place from December 19 to 20, has been thrown into doubt as the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground venue has been closed until further notice since December 10 as part of Government measures imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

HKAAA officials believe the facility should be reopened so the Championships, which form part of the qualifying process for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, can go ahead.

"This is an important event for our athletes and we have already written to the government’s Home Affairs Bureau for special consideration," HKAAA chairman Kwan Kee said, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Hong Kong Athletics Championships offers qualification points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images
The Hong Kong Athletics Championships offers qualification points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images

"Also, as a member of World Athletics, we have the responsibility of staging an annual championships and it’s already December of 2020 and we don’t have too much time left."

The event had been scheduled for May before it was pushed back to December as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Hurdlers Vera Lui Lai-yiu and Mui Ching-yeung and long jumpers Chan Ming-tai and Yue Ya-xin are among the top Hong Kong athletes who are set to compete at the National Championships.

The coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, rescheduled for July 23 to August 8 next year.