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To support the ¡°National Fitness Day¡± and to promote Sport for All in the community, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) held the ¡°Sport For All Day¡± today (August 8), offering a series of free recreational programmes at designated sports centres in 18 districts throughout the territory and opening most of its fee-charging leisure facilities for free use by the public.
The recreational programmes held at designated sports centres in the 18 districts for free participation by the people featured a wide range of activities with district characteristics, including dance play-in, fitness corner, talks and assessments relating to sports and health, as well as parent-child sports programmes.
Officiating at the Launching Ceremony of the Sport For All Day at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre today, the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young, said that the HKSAR Government had all along been promoting Sport for All and the Sport For All Day was a further step to arouse people¡¯s interest to take part in sports and physical activities regularly.
Noting that more than half of the Hong Kong population failed to reach the baseline indicator in participating in sports and physical activities as revealed by a survey conducted in 2008, Mr Young said that the LCSD had been stepping up its efforts on ¡°education¡± and ¡°service¡± work so as to encourage people to actively participate in physical and other activities for stronger physique.
At the ceremony today, Mr Young presented certificates of appointment to the Sports Ambassadors from the 18 districts. They will assist to promote sports and physical activities at the district level from this month onwards. Besides, retired Chinese Olympic Games medallists, Li Xiaopeng and Liu Xuan, along with local swimming elite athlete, Sherry Tsai, and Ambassador of "Vibrant People, Harmonious Community Activities", Cheng Ka-ho, also attended the ceremony to share with the people their sports experiences.
Other officiating guests at the launching ceremony held at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre included the Chairman of the Community Sports Committee, Mr Chau How-chen; Vice President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Mr Tony Yue; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung; and the Chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, Mr Chung Kong-mo.
Apart from Yam Tsim Mong district for which the launching ceremony was held at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre, the other 17 districts also organised ceremonies at designated sports centres at the same time. Chinese Olympic medalists, Zhang Ping (volley ball), Yang Yu (swimming) and Zhang Yining (table tennis), along with other local elite athletes including Li Ching and Ko Lai-chak (table tennis), Alex Hunter (cycling - BMX), and Stephanie Au (swimming), visited different venues to encourage people to participate in sports. A three-minute dancing fun was staged at the ceremonies organised by the 18 districts concurrently, creating a lively and sporty atmosphere all over the territory. About 7 000 dance-lovers took part in the dance in the 18 districts at the same time.
Apart from the free activities, the LCSD also opened various leisure facilities for free use by the public today. They included indoor facilities such as courts for different ballgames, sport climbing walls, golf facilities, fitness rooms, activity rooms to dance rooms; outdoor facilities such as batting cages, rope courses and archery ranges; as well as public swimming pools (except Wan Chai Swimming Pool and Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool) and crafts at Water Sports Centres.
The Sport For All Day was supported by the Department of Health, Hong Kong DanceSport Association Limited, Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre, WHO Collaborating Centre for Sports Medicine and Health Promotion, Hong Kong Medical Association, and Hong Kong Dietitians Association.
Ends/Sunday, August 8, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:56
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