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Sport for All Day (SFAD) 2015 will be held on August 2 (Sunday). The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will open its leisure facilities for public use without charges and organise free recreation and sports programmes at designated sports centres in 18 districts. Members of the public are encouraged to join their families and friends for a healthy Sunday to follow the SFAD slogan "Stay Active, Stay Healthy".
Booking for free use of leisure facilities and craft at water sports centres on August 2 can be made at all Leisure Link booking counters at LCSD venues (except for self-service kiosks) from 9am this Sunday (July 26) on a first-come, first-served basis.
To tie in with the theme of "Fitness for Health" this year, the LCSD has invited the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China to design a set of eight simple moves, namely "Easy Fitness Exercise for All", for the public to use when exercising anytime and anywhere. Consisting of a warm-up, fitness exercises and cool-down stretching, the routine helps train muscles and joints at different parts of the body. A demonstration video will be uploaded to the dedicated website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/specials/sfad2015/en/index.php.
This year, the LCSD has added some interesting touches to SFAD. Several 3D sport theme panels have been set up at the Arcade of Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Park Sports Centre, Tai Po Waterfront Park (near the Kwong Fuk entrance), the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Victoria Park Swimming Pool for people to take memorable photos.
The leisure facilities available for free use on SFAD 2015 include:
* Indoor leisure facilities: badminton courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, volleyball courts, squash courts, table tennis tables, billiard tables, sport climbing walls, bowling greens, golf facilities, fitness rooms, cycling tracks, activity rooms and dance rooms;
* Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, sport climbing walls, archery ranges and golf facilities (excluding camp facilities, sports grounds and artificial and natural turf pitches);
* Public swimming pools (excluding Wan Chai Swimming Pool); and
* Craft at water sports centres.
Each person can only book one free session irrespective of the types of leisure facilities. No prior booking is required for public swimming pools. Interested users only have to line up at the pool entrances for free admission on a first-come, first-served basis on the day.
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. The facilities shall be used for the same purpose as that for which it has been booked by the original hirer. The user shall surrender the facility to the original hirer immediately upon the latter's arrival.
The LCSD appeals to hirers to arrive on time and make the best use of the booked facilities. Hirers should cancel their bookings as soon as possible if they are unable to use them. If a hirer has booked a facility but fails to take up the booked session and cancel the booking in advance, he or she shall be deemed to have failed to take up a booked session on one occasion and shall be subject to the existing no-show penalty for individual hirers. Under the existing arrangement, any hirer who fails to take up a booked session on two occasions without prior cancellation within 30 days will be suspended from booking fee-charging leisure facilities for 90 days.
If a hirer is unable to take up a booked session, he or she should cancel the booking as early as possible. Leisure Link patrons may cancel a booking via the Internet before the booked session starts. If the hirer is not a Leisure Link patron, he or she should cancel his or her booking before the start of the booked session via the Leisure Link Self-service Kiosk or submit the cancellation request in person or by proxy at the booking counter of any LCSD leisure venue at least 30 minutes before the session starts (and at the latest 8.30pm for booked sessions starting at 9pm or later) by producing a completed booking cancellation form ("Application for Cancellation of Booking") together with the user permit and the original or a photocopy of his or her identity document. Booking cancellation forms are available at the Leisure Link booking counters of LCSD venues or can be downloaded from the LCSD's website www.lcsd.gov.hk.
All users of leisure facilities should observe the existing Conditions of Use of Recreation and Sports Facilities under the LCSD. To ensure cleanliness in public swimming pools, swimmers should also observe the pool rules, maintain personal hygiene and help keep pool water clean. People should not swim if they are not feeling well. Swimmers should wear clean swimming suits and use the toilet before swimming and should not defecate or vomit in the pool. Before entering the pool deck areas, they should shower in the changing rooms and walk through the shower baths and footbaths.
Members of the public can also participate in various free recreation and sports programmers on SFAD 2015. In the afternoon of that day, the LCSD's designated sports centres in 18 districts will hold different activities including health talks and exercise demonstrations, fitness corner activities, programmes for persons with disabilities, parent-child sports programmes, and sports participation programmes.
Enrolment for these free programmes has commenced. Members of the public can register at LCSD District Leisure Services Offices or designated venues on a first-come, first-served basis. Each person can collect up to four participation cards in each registration. For contact details of the District Leisure Services Offices and designated sports centres, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/about_phone.php.¡@
SFAD 2015 is co-organised with the Department of Health; the Sports Medicine Team of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK); the Sports Medicine and Health Science Alumni Association of CUHK; the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China; the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled; and the Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped.
For details of the booking arrangements for leisure facilities and enrolment for free recreation programmes, please visit the SFAD 2015 dedicated webpage www.lcsd.gov.hk/specials/sfad2015/en/index.php. Enquiries can be made on Tel: 2414 5555.
Ends/Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:00
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