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The Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Carrie Yau, accompanied by the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung, and the Chief Executive Officer of 2009 East Asian Games (Hong Kong) Limited (EAG Company), Mr Johnny Woo this afternoon (October 29) met representatives from the National Sports Associations (NSAs) that will take part in the coming Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games (EAG) to discuss arrangements relating to the games.
Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Yau said that preparation for the EAG had entered the final phase and that good progress was being made. Most of the competition venues are ready and final test runs of the supporting facilities are being conducted.
Mrs Yau thanked the NSAs for their support for the EAG. She also commended their efforts in assisting athletes to prepare for the games, advising on arrangements at competition venues and carrying out drills and test events.
ˇ§I am grateful for the tremendous contributions that the NSAs have made in preparing for the EAG,ˇ¨ she said.
ˇ§The EAG will be an important milestone in Hong Kongˇ¦s sports development. We look forward to seeing more Hong Kong elite athletes achieving good results, boosted by their experience at the EAG.ˇ¨
ˇ§We also hope that the games will encourage the general public to take a more active interest in sport, and we expect that the experience gained by hosting the games will create a favourable environment for Hong Kong to host more major sports events in the future,ˇ¨ Mrs Yau added.
In response, the Honorary Secretary General of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee, Hong Kong, China (SF & OC), Mr Pang Chung, said the SF & OC and the NSAs would continue to work closely with the Government and the EAG Company in making the final preparations for the games. He noted that the EAG was a major event not only for the sports sector, but also for everyone in Hong Kong to enjoy and to take part in. He was confident that the games would be a success.
The EAG will be the first major international multi-sport event hosted by Hong Kong. More than 60 per cent of the EAG tickets have already been sold, and it is estimated that over 10,000 tourists will visit the territory to watch the games.
ˇ§I am sure that everyone of us looks forward to playing host to the athletes, officials and tourists who will come for the 2009 EAG, and to giving them the best possible impression of the games and their host - Hong Kong,ˇ¨ Mrs Yau said.
Ends/Thursday, October 29, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:03
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