The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, officiated at the opening ceremony of Tsuen Wan Sports Centre today (January 18). Mrs Lam also officiated at a basketball invitation match staged later at the venue.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Lau said that Tsuen Wan Sports Centre is the fifth sports centre in the district and the 100th sports centre of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), marking an important milestone in the Government's promotion of sports development. Well-equipped and conveniently located, Tsuen Wan Sports Centre not only provides a wide range of leisure and sports facilities for members of the public, but is also suitable for hosting local, regional and international sports events, giving a boost to Hong Kong's image as a sports events capital in Asia.

     Mr Lau attributed the successful completion of Tsuen Wan Sports Centre to the concerted efforts of the Tsuen Wan District Council (TWDC), local organisations, the private developer for the project and government departments. He also expressed gratitude for the staunch support of all parties concerned during the planning and development of the project.

     Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; the Chairman of the TWDC, Mr Chung Wai-ping; the District Officer (Tsuen Wan), Miss Jenny Yip; and the Chairman of the TWDC's District Facilities Management Committee, Mr Wong Wai-kit.

     After officiating at the ceremony, Mrs Lam was then briefed on the Energy Bikes newly installed on the ground floor lobby of the sports centre, which allow users to charge their electronic devices while riding on the bikes. With a view to encouraging the public to do more exercise and promoting the use of renewable energy, the LCSD will set up more Energy Bikes at selected leisure venues under a pilot scheme for the public to enjoy free of charge later this year. Tsuen Wan Sports Centre is the first LCSD venue to provide such facilities. The selected venues will include Kowloon Park Sports Centre, Po Kong Village Road Sports Centre, the Hong Kong Velodrome, Yuen Long Sports Centre and Lai Chi Kok Park.

     Located at 53 Wing Shun Street, Tsuen Wan Sports Centre has four storeys and occupies a total area of about 12 000 square metres. It was commissioned in October last year. On its second floor is the multi-purpose main arena, with seating capacity for about 1 900 persons. The arena can be used as a basketball court or a volleyball court or four badminton courts. A secondary hall with seating capacity for nearly 200 persons located on the ground floor can also serve as a warming-up area. Ancillary facilities, such as a doping control room, are also available to facilitate the hosting of major local, regional and international sports events. The sports centre also provides the first children's play room and the first outdoor climbing wall in the district. Other facilities include a table-tennis room, multi-purpose activity rooms, dance rooms and a fitness room with a full sea view.

     Members of the public can visit the LCSD website for information on the sports centre. For enquiries, please contact the venue staff at 2392 9570.

Ends/Friday, January 18, 2019
Issued at HKT 17:20

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