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More than 1,000 secondary school students gathered at the Wan Chai Sports Ground today (November 21) to do fitness exercises together for 15 minutes to launch the sportFIT Award Scheme (sportFIT) and to support the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Jointly organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Education Bureau, the Hong Kong Childhealth Foundation and the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, the sportFIT is aimed at encouraging both primary and secondary school students to enhance their physical fitness through regular participation in sports.
Officiating at the launching ceremony, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Thomas Chow, said the sportFIT, which was built on the sportACT Award Scheme (sportACT) launched in October last year in schools, would further strengthen the "one student, one sport" drive.
"The sportACT, being part of the LCSD's School Sports Programme (SSP), is organised to encourage students to participate in sports activities and to develop doing exercises as a life-long habit. Participants have to perform a certain amount of physical exercises within a period of eight consecutive weeks to be awarded certificates according to their levels of participation in physical exercises," Mr Chow said.
"The sportFIT Award Scheme is built on the sportACT Award Scheme with the School Physical Fitness Award Scheme (SPFAS). Under the sportFIT Award Scheme, students who meet the award requirements of both the sportACT and SPFAS will be given further recognition and awards," he added.
The sportFIT ceremony also marked the launch of the sportACT Month from today to December 20 to motivate schools and students to continue active participation in various sport activities under the SSP in the coming academic year.
The students taking part in today's ceremony came from the Chong Gene Hang College which is one of the participating schools in the sportACT.
"In addition to Chong Gene Hang College, 23 other schools throughout the territory were also arranging for their students to do exercises together on their own campuses today in support of the sportFIT," Mr Chow said.
With Hong Kong as a co-host city of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a torch relay was also staged at the Wan Chai Sports Ground in support of the Olympics. More than 100 students took part in the torch relay to experience the spirit of Olympism.
Government officials also attending today's launching ceremony were the Deputy Secretary for Education, Mr Chris Wardlaw, and the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection, the Department of Health, Dr Thomas Tsang.
Other officiating guests included the Honorary Secretary General of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Mr Pang Chung; the Chairman of the Community Sports Committee, Mr Chau How-chen; the Convener of the Student Sports Activities Co-ordinating Sub-committee, Mr Fan Kam-ping; the Chairman of the Board of Trustee of the Hong Kong Childhealth Foundation, Dr Henrietta Ip Man-hing; Vice-Chairman of the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, Professor Chow Bik-chu; and the Principal of the Chong Gene Hang College, Mr Li Siu-wah.
Ends/Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:50
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