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The first of a series of seminars to educate students on Olympism - the Olympic spirit - and the 2009 East Asian Games (EAG) was held today (November 12) at Olympic House, So Kon Po.
The seminar, jointly organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) and the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB), attracted 200 secondary students.
Guest speaker at today's seminar was Board Chairman of the Hong Kong School Sports Federation Mr Yeung Hoi-cheung.
A member of the Hong Kong five-man bowling team which won a silver medal at the 4th EAG in Macau, Wu Siu-hong, together with Lui Chor-wai and Cheng Kam-hing, both members of the Hong Kong Basketball Team, described their experiences as dedicated athletes.
The seminars are part of the Olympism and 2009 EAG School Sports Education Programme launched jointly by the LCSD, SF&OC and EMB in September this year to arouse young people's interest in voluntary work for the Games.
Participants in the sports education programme learn about the origins of the ancient and modern Olympics, Paralympics, International Olympic Committee, national sports events in which Hong Kong has taken part after the re-unification with China, Asian Games, 2008 Beijing Olympics and Hong Kong's responsibilities as host of the 2009 EAG.
Twelve seminars are scheduled to be held this school year and they are expected to attract 3,600 students.
Apart from the seminars, the Olympism and 2009 EAG School Sports Education Programme offers outreach talks given by athletes, sports executives, professionals and educators, and exhibitions in primary and secondary schools.
Sixteen outreach talks and 17 exhibitions have been greeted enthusiastically at schools since September. So far, 96 applications have been received for outreach talks and 64 applications for exhibitions.
Ends/Saturday, November 12, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:46
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