107 HKSAR athletes to join 6th National Cities Games (With photo)
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    The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, today (September 22) presented the Hong Kong flag to the 167-strong Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Delegation to the 6th National Cities Games of the People's Republic of China to be held at Wuhan, Hubei Province from October 25 to November 3.

     The delegation, comprising 107 athletes and 60 sports officials, will participate in 15 events, including swimming, judo, fencing, windsurfing, athletics, gymnastics, canoeing, wushu, shooting, cycling, taekwondo, table tennis, badminton, tennis and volleyball.

     Officiating at the flag presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre, Mr Tsang encouraged the Hong Kong athletes to do their best to beat the Hong Kong records in the event.

     The Hong Kong delegation won two gold and one bronze medals in cycling, tennis and windsurfing events in the 5th National Cities Games in Changsha, Hunan Province in 2003.

     The National Cities Games is held every four years to promote sports development in cities all over China and to identify more young sports talents for the Chinese national teams.  This year's Games is the major national multi-sports event to be held in the Mainland before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

     Also officiating at today's flag presentation ceremony were the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the HKSAR Delegation/the President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Mr Timothy Fok, the Vice-chairman of the Organising Committee for the HKSAR Delegation, Mr Victor Hui, and the Vice-chairman of the Organising Committee for the HKSAR Delegation/the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Thomas Chow.

Ends/Saturday, September 22, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:07

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