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The Home Affairs Bureau and the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) jointly held the "300-day Countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui tonight (October 13).
Not only did it mark the 300 more days to the opening of the Olympic Games but it also launched the Olympic city dress-up programme.
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, and President of the SF&OC, Mr Timothy Fok, officiated at the ceremony. Mr Tsang said that in the past year the Government had worked closely with the SF&OC and organisations from different sectors to arrange a wide variety of publicity and community activities to promote the Olympic spirit of solidarity, friendship and fair play.
"With the 300-day countdown to the Olympic Games, we will further enhance our efforts. Today's ceremony marks the launching of our Olympic city dress-up programme. Decorations with the Olympic promotion messages will be displayed at the main thoroughfares and external walls of government venues and commercial buildings.
"We are now planning a series of community engagement activities and publicity campaigns, to encourage community participation in full," he said.
Elite athletes and representatives of Hong Kong's sports sector participated in the countdown ceremony with singers and artists performing during the event. The show was produced and will later be broadcast by Television Broadcasts Limited.
About 200 guests attended tonight's ceremony, including legislators, consular corps, sponsors and suppliers of the Olympic Games, representatives of sports and district organisations and donors to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Equestrian Events Hong Kong Fund.
Other officiating guests included the Chief Executive Officer of the Equestrian Company, Mr Lam Woon-kwong; Chairman of Board of Governors of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Equestrian Events Hong Kong Fund, Ms Elsie Leung; and Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
Ends/Saturday, October 13, 2007
Issued at HKT 20:31
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