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The ground-breaking of Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground today (June 17) signified a major step forward in local athletics development. The sports ground will be the first venue suitable for holding international athletics competitions in Hong Kong.
Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground is designed and built to International Association of Athletics Federations standards. It comprises a main sports ground, a warm-up secondary sports ground, and other facilities for holding large-scale international competitions. It is a significant public works project of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and it will become the main venue for track and field events for the 2009 East Asian Games.
Officiating at the ceremony were the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho; Chairman of the 5th East Asian Games Planning Committee, Mr Timothy Fok; Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Mr Cai Zhenhua; Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Anissa Wong; Director of Architectural Services, Mr Yue Chi-hang; Vice-Chairman and President of China Overseas Holdings Ltd, Mr Kong Qingping; President of the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association (HKAAA), Mr Moh Ho-chap; Chairman of Sai Kung District Council, Mr Ng Sze-fuk, Vice-Chairman Francis Chau, Chairman of Culture, Recreation and Sports Committee Mr Hiew Chin, and women¡¯s 10,000 metres gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Xing Huina.
Delegates from member places of the East Asian Games Association, representatives of sports sector, elite athletes, and Sai Kung District also attended the ceremony to show support.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Cai said he understood Hong Kong had been actively preparing for the 2009 East Asian Games. Noting that $1billion would be invested in the construction and improvement of various sports venues, he was confident that Hong Kong would be well prepared for the 2009 Games with international standard facilities.
¡°The 2009 East Asian Games will be the first international multi-event sports competition to be held in Hong Kong. The Chinese Olympic Committee and State Sport General Administration will give our full support. To demonstrate the country¡¯s support of sports development and the staging of mega sports events in Hong Kong, we will be sending our best athletes to the 2009 Games.¡±
With the good progress of the preparation works, Mr Cai believed Hong Kong would hold the 5th East Asian Games successfully. He called for concerted efforts from the whole community, in particular the sports sector, to make the Games successful.
Officiating at the ceremony, Dr Ho said that with the new sports ground of international standard, Hong Kong would be better equipped to hold major athletics competitions on an international or regional scale. ¡°This will provide more chances of exchange among athletes in Hong Kong and neighbouring places,¡± he said.
¡°The sports ground will not only serve the 50 primary and secondary schools in Tseung Kwan O new town which has a 300,000 population, but also becomes an ideal training base for athletics in Hong Kong,¡± Dr Ho said.
Mr Moh, of the HKAAA, said that he was looking forward to the completion of this sports ground which would contribute towards the nurturing of budding athletes with its good facilities for athletic training and competition. His view was echoed by Hong Kong elite athlete Tang Yik-chun.
Occupying an area of about 5.9 hectares and located at Po Hong Road in Tseung Kwan O, the track and field facilities conform to International Association of Athletics Federations standards. Facilities of the main sports ground include an eight-lane 400-metre all-weather synthetic running track, a javelin-throw circle, high jump take-off runways and pits, long jump and triple jump runways and pits, a pole-vault runway and landing area, steeple chase facilities, a hammer and discus cage, a shot-put throwing area, an 11-a-side natural football pitch conforming to the Federation Internationale de Football Association standards, a covered spectator stand with a seating capacity of about 3,500 and spaces for a temporary spectator stand with 1,500 seats.
The secondary sports ground includes a warm-up track and field facilities and a seven-a-side natural turf football pitch.
Other ancillary facilities include doping control rooms, weight-lifting rooms, control rooms, press facilities and necessary facilities for organising events and conferences as well as holding training exercises.
Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground has included the five Olympic Rings and the emblem of the 2009 East Asian Games in the master planning and the design of the spectator stand. The building design and planning have also taken full consideration of the effect of microclimate on both players and spectators. The lighting and public announcement systems are carefully designed whereas logistic strategy and operation need of holding international athletics competition have also been taken into consideration.
Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground has demonstrated various environment design concepts in order for it to become a leading sustainable green sports venue in Hong Kong.
Ends/Saturday, June 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:19
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