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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will make various fee-charging leisure facilities available for free use by members of the public on August 5 (Sunday) when Sport For All Day is held as part of the department's efforts to encourage people to do regular exercise.
Booking for the facilities can be made at all Leisure Link booking counters at LCSD venues (except for self-service kiosks) from 9.30am on July 29 (Sunday) on a first-come, first-served basis. This applies to the facilities which have not been block-booked by organisations on August 5.
The leisure facilities open to free use on August 5 include:
* Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, American pool tables, billiard tables, carom table, sport climbing walls, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms, activity rooms and dance rooms;
* Outdoor leisure facilities (not including camping facilities, sports grounds and artificial and natural turf pitches): tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, rope course, sport climbing walls, archery ranges and golf facilities;
* Public swimming pools (not including Wan Chai Swimming Pool); and
* Craft at water sports centres
Each person can book only one free session for these leisure facilities irrespective of the types of facilities. No prior booking is required for free admission to the LCSD's swimming pools. Those interested only need to line up at the entrance to the pools before each session starts on August 5 for free admission on a first-come, first-served basis.
If a hirer fails to take up a booked leisure facility 10 minutes after the starting time of the booked session, the facility will be reallocated to walk-in participants on a first-come, first-served basis. A walk-in participant allocated a facility in this way does not need to surrender the facility even when the original hirer subsequently turns up.
The LCSD appeals to hirers to make the best use of the booked facilities and to arrive at the facilities on time. They should cancel the booked sessions as soon as possible if they foresee being unable to use the booked facilities. They can fill out a booking cancellation form or confirm cancellation in writing and send the information together with the permit to the LCSD by fax or email or in person. The booking cancellation form is available at the Leisure Link booking counters at LCSD venues and can be downloaded from the Sport For All Day dedicated webpage: www.lcsd.gov.hk/specials/sfad2012/en/index.php.¡@
The hirer must be one of the users of the leisure facility booked. He or she should produce the valid permit, his or her identification document (i.e. identity card, passport, re-entry permit or student card bearing a photograph of the card holder) and recognised proof of qualifications (if necessary) for verification at the check-in counter before using the facilities. All users of the leisure facilities have to observe the rules and regulations laid down by the LCSD.
Swimmers should help keep swimming pools clean and hygienic. People should not use the swimming pool facilities if they do not feel well. They should put on a clean swimsuit and use the toilet if necessary and should not defecate or vomit in the pools. Before entering the pool deck areas, they should shower in the changing rooms and walk through the shower baths and footbaths.
Being held for the fourth consecutive year, Sport For All Day has "Stay Active: Exercise for Half an Hour Daily" as a slogan this year. It aims to call on people to nurture a habit of performing physical exercise for at least 30 minutes each day so as to attain a healthier and stronger physique.
Various free recreation and sports programmes will also be made available throughout the 18 districts on Sport For All Day for the public to take part in. On top of activities like parent-child sports programmes and exercise demonstrations and the provision of fitness corners across the board, the LCSD's designated sports centres in each of the 18 districts will each choose an Olympic event as a centrepiece to create an ambience themed on the London Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as to give support to Hong Kong athletes participating in the Games.
Enrolment for the August 5 free programmes can be made at the respective District Leisure Services Offices of the LCSD or the designated activity venues in the 18 districts on a first-come, first-served basis. A small portion of tickets will be reserved for walk-in participants on the event day. Details of the designated sports centres and the corresponding Olympic sports selected are available at the Sport For All Day dedicated webpage.
So far, more than 30 organisations, including District Councils, various National Sports Associations, tertiary institutions and property management companies, have responded to the LCSD's appeal for organising free activities and opening their facilities for the use of their members, teachers and students or tenants on August 5. More than 4,500 people are expected to benefit from their generosity. To encourage more people to actively participate in physical activity, some of the District Councils have even taken the step of financing community organisations to organise recreation programmes on August 5.
Sport For All Day 2012 is co-organised with the Department of Health; the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre; the Postgraduate Diploma/Master of Science in Sports Medicine and Health Science Alumni Association of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; and the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China.
For details of the booking arrangements for leisure facilities and enrolment for recreation programmes, please visit the Sport for All Day dedicated homepage. Enquiries can be made on Tel: 2414 5555.
Ends/Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:13
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