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Preparations by athletes from 18 districts for the 5th Hong Kong Games (HKG) came into full swing after the 18 Districts' Pledging Ceremony under the tagline "Our City, Our Games!" was staged today (February 15).
Officiating at the ceremony at Kowloon Park Sports Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui, said the HKG not only provides opportunities for amateur athletes representing the 18 districts to unleash their potential during their participation in sports competitions, but also facilitates communication and fosters friendship among people living in different districts. This would help build up a culture of respect and inclusiveness, as well as enhance a sense of belonging to their home districts and community cohesion among the residents.
Ms Hui called on members of the public to actively support the 5th HKG, adding that apart from competing in the Games, they could also watch and cheer for the athletes at the events or join the related community participation activities.
The 5th HKG, to be staged between April 25 and May 31, covers eight competition events, namely athletics, badminton, basketball, futsal, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. Each district has formed its own team to compete in the contests, with over 3 000 athletes already joining the Games in total.
Also speaking at the pledging ceremony, the Chairman of the 5th HKG Organising Committee, Mr William Tong, noted that district teams had stepped up training activities to gear up their athletes for the competitions.
In addition to the appointment of eight elite athletes as Sports Ambassadors to help promote the 5th HKG, the 5th HKG also invited artiste Andy Lau to contribute a calligraphic inscription for the Games. Mr Lau's inscription has been printed onto a souvenir T-shirt as a free gift and incentive to members of the public participating in HKG activities.
To encourage participation at the district level and help create a competitive atmosphere, the HKG this year will not only continue to present the overall champion, first runner-up and second runner-up, "District with the Most Gold Medals", "District with the Best Progress", "District with the Greatest Participation" and "District with the Strongest Cheering Squad" prizes. A new award for "District with the Best Sportsmanship" will be added to encourage all district sportspeople to attend all competitions as a demonstration of the importance and spirit of whole-hearted participation in competitions. There will also be new trophies for "District with Impressive Progress" in each of the eight sports competitions.
A series of activities leading up to the Games will commence after today's ceremony. They include the Vitality Run, the Cheering Team Competition for the 18 districts and the Dynamic Moments Photo Contest. Members of the public can also take part in the vote for "My Favourite Sporty District" and guess the "Overall Champion of the 5th HKG" as another way to participate in the event.
A large-scale opening ceremony will also be held at the Hong Kong Coliseum for the first time on April 25. About 10 000 guests from 18 districts and the public will be invited to join the ceremony. The detailed programme and ticketing arrangements will be announced in early April.
Also officiating at today's ceremony were the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; Legislative Councillor Mr Ip Kwok-him; the President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), Mr Timothy Fok; and the Executive Adviser of the 5th HKG Organising Committee, Mr Chau How-chen. Representatives of the 18 District Councils and relevant National Sports Associations also attended the event to show their support.
The 5th HKG is organised by the Sports Commission and co-ordinated by the Community Sports Committee. The 18 District Councils, the SF&OC, relevant National Sports Associations and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department are co-organisers. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the Principal Contributor for the event.
Details of the 5th HKG and various community activities are available on the dedicated homepage at www.hongkonggames.hk.
Ends/Sunday, February 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:00
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