SHA joins 2014 Sport For All Day activities (with photos)
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     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, joined the public to share the fun and benefits of doing exercise at the Lai Chi Kok Park Sports Centre on the 2014 Sport For All Day (SFAD) today (August 3).

     To promote "Sport for All" and encourage people to exercise regularly, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) held the 2014 SFAD today. A range of free programmes was offered at designated sports centres in the 18 districts and various fee-charging leisure facilities were open to members of the public for free use.

     As the FISAC-IRSF World Rope Skipping Championships 2014 final was held in Hong Kong on the same day, the SFAD this year adopted rope skipping as its main theme with the slogan, "Stay active! Rope skipping keeps you fit!". Group skipping activities at designated venues in the 18 districts were staged simultaneously today for members of the public to share the fun and benefits of skipping as well as to support the Hong Kong team in the world championships.

     Accompanying Mr Tsang to join today's SFAD activities were the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; the Chairman of the Sham Shui Po District Council, Mr Jimmy Kwok; the Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services), Mr Raymond Fan; the District Officer (Sham Shui Po), Mr Benjamin Mok; and the Vice Chairman of the Sham Shui Po District Council, Mr Wong Tat-tung.

     The guests first enjoyed a demonstration of rope skipping performed by athletes of the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association, China, and then joined in the group rope skipping together with the athletes and the public at the Lai Chi Kok Park Sports Centre.

     Mr Tsang also watched families participating in parent-child mini-games and a sport dancing demonstration, and took part in hula-hoop aerobics.

     This is the sixth consecutive year that LCSD has organised SFAD to promote sport for all. The Department offered nearly 200 free recreation and sports programmes at designated sports centres in the 18 districts today, ranging from rope skipping demonstrations and participation activities, exercise talks and demonstrations, to fitness corners, parent-child sports programmes and other sports participation activities.

     The LCSD also made available the majority of its leisure facilities for free use by the public as another major attraction today. These included:

* 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, a cycling track, activity rooms and dance rooms;

* Outdoor leisure facilities: tennis courts, tennis practice courts, bowling greens, batting cages, rope courses, 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.

     To call for more support in the community, the LCSD has invited the 18 District Councils, national sports associations and community sports organisations, as well as major residential estates, privately run sports clubs and health centres, to organise activities and offer facilities for the public and their residents/members to enjoy today.

     The 2014 SFAD is co-organised with the Department of Health, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre, the Postgraduate Diploma/Master of Science in Sports Medicine and Health Science Alumni Association of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, and the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association, China.

Ends/Sunday, August 3, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:51

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