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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has taken a further step to promote Sport for All in the community. It has won the support of the 18 District Councils (DC), each of which has appointed two DC members to become sports ambassadors. Serving from next month to the end of 2011, the ambassadors will help the Community Sports Committee (CSC) and the LCSD call on people in the districts to engage in sport and physical activities regularly.
Thirty-six sports ambassadors from the 18 districts will be formally appointed at the launching ceremony of Sport For All Day on August 8.
The LCSD organised a seminar at the Kowloon Park Secondary Hall today (July 22) for the ambassadors to give them a better understanding of the goals, strategies and work plans for the promotion of Sport for All. The tasks of the ambassadors in the coming year are as follows:
* to promote the importance and benefits of regular participation in sport and other physical activities among members of the public;
* to encourage the less physically active members of the community to exercise more and to adopt the "baseline indicator" for physical activity as a starting point;
* to promote the leisure services provided by the LCSD for the community and encourage their use of the services;
* to convey the views of the public on the leisure services to the LCSD;
* to attend major events organised by District Leisure Services Offices of the LCSD and assist in the publicity work;
* to help to encourage residents and DC members in their respective districts to actively participate in physical activity so as to foster a healthy life style; and
* to assist community to obtain more resources for promotion of Sport for All.
Speaking at the seminar, the Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services), Mr Bobby Cheng, said that the District Councils played an important role in promoting sports at district level. He expressed gratitude to the 18 DCs for rendering their support and for nominating some of their members to serve as sports ambassadors.
The Chairman of the CSC, Mr Chau How-chen, also attended the seminar. He said that Sport For All Day to be held on August 8 would further the publicity and services improvement efforts to achieve Sport for All. He expressed the hope that with the assistance of the sports ambassadors, people who led a less active lifestyle could be encouraged to do more sports and physical activity with a view to building a healthier and more vital community together.
At the seminar, the convenor of the task force for the follow-up actions of the "Study on Sport for All - Participation Patterns of Hong Kong People in Physical Activities", Dr Lo Wing-lok, gave a talk on the healthy effects of taking part in physical activity. Professor Stanley Hui of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, introduced the experiences of other countries in promoting Sport for All. Representatives of the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, gave a demonstration of quick walking to the sports ambassadors.
The report on the study,"Sport for All - Participation Patterns of Hong Kong People in Physical Activities", publicised by the LCSD last year, showed that more than half of Hong Kong people failed to meet the baseline indicator of physical activity. The study recommended that those who are not active should start from the baseline indicator, and, with sustained efforts, move toward the goal of doing physical activity every day so that a healthy lifestyle can be attained. The baseline indicator is at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity at least three days a week.
To follow up on the study's recommendations, the LCSD has started an action plan in two phases. The first is to educate the public on the importance of regular physical activity through various channels and to introduce the findings to various stakeholders, including government departments, DCs, National Sports Associations (NSAs), district sports bodies, business organisations and schools, as well as to solicit their support in promoting Sport for All in the community. The sports ambassadors, will definitely be a great help in achieving this aim.
The second phase will focus on a review of existing leisure services and the needs of the people for leisure facilities. The department will also join with the NSAs in exploring ways to provide more sports and physical activities that are suitable for people of different ages. Similar surveys will be conducted regularly to collect the most up-to-date information on public participation in sport and physical activities.
Ends/Thursday, July 22, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:00
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