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Following is a question by the Hon Frankie Yick and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (April 30):
Question:
Since 2008, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China has received government funding to implement the "Hong Kong Athletes Career and Education Programme" (HKACEP) to support athletes in areas such as career development and pursuit of academic studies, etc., including helping retired athletes and those who are about to retire to plan for a second career. In addition, the Hong Kong Sports Institute launched in 2008 the "Athletes Integrated Educational and Vocational Development Programme" (AIEVDP) to provide athletes with support in education and career development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of retired athletes who applied for joining HKACEP and the number of those who received assistance under HKACEP, together with a breakdown by the support programme (including the language enrichment course, life skills and mentorship programme, scholarship programme for tertiary education, career programme, etc.), in the past five years; the amount of grants receivable by an athlete under HKACEP, and whether they are granted any subsistence allowance;
(2) of the number of retiring athletes assisted by AIEVDP, the areas in which these athletes were provided with support and the amount of grants received by them, and the number of athletes who benefitted from AIEVDP and its percentage in the total number of serving full-time athletes, in the past five years; and
(3) given that the aforesaid two programmes have operated for more than five years, whether the authorities will conduct a review to perfect them; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In a bid to help athletes achieve diversified development in sports, academic studies and career, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB), in co-operation with various stakeholders, including the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) and the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), offers educational and career support to athletes so that they may plan for further academic pursuits or a "second career" after retirement, while dedicating themselves to training and taking part in competitions. My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) Since the implementation of the "Hong Kong Athletes Career & Education Programme" (HKACEP) offered by the SF&OC from September 2008 to the end of March this year, there were around 3 000 counts of athletes using the HKACEP services. A breakdown of programmes (including the number of beneficiaries and the amount of grants receivable) is at Annex 1. Scholarships under the HKACEP are mainly for subsidy of athletes’ tuition fees, while living expenses are excluded.
(2) In the past five years, a total of 1 257 elite athletes participated in the "Athletes Integrated Educational and Vocational Development Programme" (AIEVDP) organised by the HKSI, among whom 144 had plans to retire. The AIEVDP renders diversified support to athletes in educational and career development, including tutorial support, education subsidy, coach training, personal development and exchange/learning. A breakdown of such programmes is at Annex 2.
(3) The HAB has been working closely with the HKSI and the SF&OC to provide support to serving and retired athletes in educational and career development. In addition to the programmes offered by the HKSI and the SF&OC, serving athletes and athletes who have retired for less than two years may apply for tuition grants and subsistence allowance from the Hong Kong Athletes Fund (HKAF) for approved certificate, diploma or degree courses run by educational institutions in Hong Kong. In the past three financial years, a total of 34 athletes received grants amounting to around $3.5 million from the HKAF for further studies. To monitor the effectiveness of various programmes and enhance the relevant measures, we shall continue to participate in the work of various committees under the HKSI and the HKACEP, as well as garner athletes' views through the HKSI and the SF&OC.
Ends/Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:40
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