Speech by SLW at Hong Kong Sevens 2017 "Tackling Barriers Through Sport" Campaign Kick-Off Event (English only)
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Mr Jean de Villiers (Laureus World Sports Academy), Mr Andy Barrow (Former Great Britain wheelchair rugby captain and Triple Paralympian), Ms Lesley Fung (Executive Director, Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled), Ms Sue Toomey (Executive Director, HandsOn Hong Kong), Mr James Wong (Vice Chairman, Hong Kong Association of the Deaf), Mr Chris Yiu (Senior Programme Officer, Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong), Ms Kim Lam (Director of Hong Kong Rugby Union), Mr Robbie McRobbie (Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Rugby Union), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to kick start this highly meaningful campaign which highlights the enormous possibilities of sport in helping young people to overcome different physical, psychological and social barriers and realize their potentials to the full.
The Government's policy for developing sport in Hong Kong is threefold — to promote sport in the community, to support elite sport, and to maintain Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events. Underlying this policy is the view that participation in sport contributes significantly to good physical and psychological health, and provides a basis for social interaction and a sense of belonging to the community.
This week is therefore a wonderful opportunity to bring these three strands together – the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is recognised as one of the world's most iconic sports events and has once again been accorded M Mark status and a place as one of the official 20th anniversary celebratory events. During the tournament we will be cheering for both our Hong Kong men's and women's teams, as they strive for victory and a place on next year's HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, and their success is of course supported by the Hong Kong Sports Institute. And finally, not only will 120 000 spectators have the opportunity to watch quality international sport live over the weekend, including over 8 000 youngsters from schools, NGOs and community groups free of charge on the Friday evening, but also through the efforts of the Hong Kong Rugby Union's Community Foundation attention will also be focused on an even more important theme, "tackling barriers through sport."
Every day we all face barriers in our lives – for most of us we are fortunate that these are relatively small challenges that we can overcome, but for some in our community these barriers present a much bigger problem. Issues such as health, education, poverty, social inclusion, disability, juvenile crime – these are common to all societies, and all represent barriers that can prevent a young person from realising their potential.
Tackling these barriers is not easy, but we can all play our part. My warmest congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to the Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation for leading the way in using sport as a medium to help address these issues. I would also like to thank all those supporting this programme, including the Hong Kong Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, the Hong Kong Association of the Deaf, the Chinese University Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, Kowloon Rugby Club, and HandsOn Hong Kong.
This campaign is a great fit with the Government's approach – we believe young people are the most precious assets of our society and our future. Our youth development policy focuses on creating opportunities for them and helping them realise their potential, so that they may bring what they have learnt into play and seek advancement. We will continue to partner with relevant NGOs to foster a culture of multifaceted excellence and offer multiple avenues for young people to pursue their studies, career and interests.
The Government is also committed to building a caring, compassionate and fair society. Issues such as poverty alleviation, care for the elderly and support for the disadvantaged are at the top of our agenda. We have devoted substantial resources to improve the livelihood of the grassroots over the past four years or so. Specifically, as compared with the amount at the beginning of the current-term Government, recurrent expenditure on social welfare has increased by 71 per cent in five years, from $42.8 billion in 2012-13 to $73.3 billion in 2017-18. Over the period, poverty figures have edged downward. We aim to render assistance to people in need through our social security system, while at the same time striving to encourage and support people capable of working to achieve self-reliance through employment. The goal is to alleviate intergenerational poverty and enhance upward social mobility, thereby promoting a caring and inclusive society.
In addition to today's activities there will also be workshops and a lunch on Thursday where we will have an opportunity to hear from inspiring individuals and projects working in this field, including the likes of Andy Barrow our triple Paralympian who has kindly joined us today, and Laureus World Sports Academy Member and former South African captain Jean de Villiers.
Ladies and gentlemen, we must not let issues such as poverty, prejudice and discriminations hinder us from celebrating the diversity, courage, sportsmanship and remarkable achievements exemplified by sport.
Last but not least, let me thank all the people and organizations who turn this programme into a success. I wish all of you, along with the HKRU Community Foundation and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a very successful and fruitful week.
Thank you.
Ends/Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:24
Issued at HKT 12:24
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