************************************************************
Three thousand students turned up at a ceremony and carnival at Kowloon Bay Sports Ground today (October 21) to mark the launching of the "sportACT Award Scheme".
The scheme is aimed at encouraging primary and secondary students to actively participate in at least one sport of their choice.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) embarked on this new initiative as part of the School Sports Programme funded by the department since 2001.
Speaking at today's sportACt Award Scheme Launching Ceremony and 2006 Fun Fun Carnival, the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Carrie Lam, said the award scheme was in line with the objective of enhancing the School Sports Programme, mentioned in this year's Policy Address.
"We hope that, with the continuous participation by students in sports activities and the support and involvement of schools, the participation in the School Sports Programme will increase from 70% to 90% within three years and eventually the overall objective of 'one student, one sport' will be achieved," Mrs Lam said.
Under the sportACT Award Scheme, students will plan and log their sports activities and be awarded certificates according to their levels of participation.
Participating students will sign a charter pledging themselves to engage in certain hours of sports activities over an eight-week period, record those sports activities in a log book to be certified by a parent, teacher or coach, and, in recognition of their attainment of the set goals, receive gold, silver or bronze award certificates according to the hours of participated activities.
At present, the School Sports Programme has a Badges Award Scheme which tests and rewards students for the skill level they achieve in specific sports. The sportACT Award Scheme will complement it by rewarding students for the process of continuous participation.
Apart from students, schools participating in the sportACT Award Scheme will also sign a charter pledging to provide more opportunities for their students to engage in sports.
Seventy-seven schools have already signed the charter. Any participating school with 25% or more of its students receiving the sportACT certificates within one school year will receive an Active School Award.
Today's sportACT Award Scheme Launching Ceremony and 2006 Fun Fun Carnival was co-organised with the Education and Manpower Bureau and 31 National Sports Associations which provided play-in sessions and demonstrations in their respective sports.
Other officiating guests included the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Thomas Chow; the Chairman of the Community Sports Committee, Mr Chau How-chen and the Convener of its Student Sports Activities Co-ordinating Sub-committee, Mr Fan Kam-ping.
At the ceremony, outstanding athletes Tang Yik-chun (athletics), Lin Wan-lei (athletics), Yung Ka-yan (rowing) and Chiu Chun-hei (table tennis) were presented with certificates of appointment as sportACT Ambassadors.
Ends/Saturday, October 21, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:12
NNNN