*********************************************************
The 2013 School Sports Programme (SSP) Prize Presentation Ceremony was held this morning (July 3) at Shek Kip Mei Park Sports Centre to present winning students and schools with prizes for the 2013 Easy Sport Competition, the sportACT Active School Award and the sportEXCEL Award.
The Easy Sport Competition is held annually with the aim of providing opportunities for primary students to exchange sports skills so as to arouse their interests and boost their confidence in sport. The competitions for the 2012-13 school year have proven a success, with nearly 3 000 students from 119 primary schools taking part. The competitions covered 11 sports, namely badminton, fencing, athletics, mini-tennis, mini-squash, three-on-three basketball, dragon dance, soft volleyball, TRY rugby, cricket and handball, with 197 prizes.
The Sports Award Scheme consists of the sportACT Award Scheme, the sportFIT Award Scheme and the sportTAG Award Scheme, and aims to encourage students to participate in sport regularly so as to develop a healthy and active lifestyle.
During this school year, a total of 362 secondary schools, primary schools and special schools with over 170 000 students participated in the sportACT Award Scheme. The scheme requires students to set a timetable for taking up a fixed amount of sports activities regularly. Students are eligible for a certificate if they meet the required targets. A total of 165 schools were presented with the sportACT Active School Award for having 25 per cent or more of their students achieving sportACT awards.
The sportFIT Award Scheme is implemented to enhance the effectiveness of the sportACT Award Scheme. Students may apply for sportFIT awards through their schools if they have obtained both sportACT awards and awards under the School Physical Fitness Award Scheme, which is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Childhealth Foundation, the Education Bureau and the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, in the same academic year.
The sportTAG Award Scheme aims to encourage students to take systematic courses and specialised training to improve their sports skills. Students who have been granted badges/awards in skill level tests recognised by the relevant national sports associations, and who also attained sportACT awards at any level in the same academic year, are entitled to sportTAG awards of equivalent levels.
The sportEXCEL Award is the highest award under the Sports Award Scheme, and recognises students who have attained all three awards within the same academic year. This year, 46 students won this special honour.
All of the above schemes are subsidiary programmes of the SSP. The SSP is co-ordinated and subvented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) with national sports associations assisting in the organisation of various activities.
Officiating at the ceremony, the Convener of the Student Sports Activities Co-ordinating Sub-committee, Mr Liu Ah-chuen, said that apart from the above activities, the School Sports Programme Coordinator pilot scheme was also launched this school year. All the co-ordinators are retired athletes recommended by the Hong Kong Sports Institute, who have helped schools to implement sports development plans and enhance the school sports culture.
With the onset of the summer vacation, officiating guests also launched the sportACT Summer Active Challenge and called on schools all over Hong Kong to encourage students to embrace the eight-week-long sportACT Summer Active Challenge, making the best use of the holidays and building a stronger physique while working towards winning the relevant awards. The "School Sports Tour - iSmart Fitness Scheme" was also announced at the ceremony, and will be introduced in the coming school year.
Officiating today's ceremony were the Vice-convener of the Student Sports Activities Co-ordinating Sub-committee, Mrs Stella Lau; Head of Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch under Department of Health, Dr Regina Ching; the Chief Curriculum Development Officer (Physical Education) of the Education Bureau, Mr Ho Chun-ip; and the Chief Leisure Manager (Sports Development) of the LCSD, Mrs Joan Mak.
Ends/Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:42
NNNN
