The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) said today (September 13) that the athlete selection in 18 districts for the 8th Hong Kong Games (HKG), which had been postponed due to the COVID-19 situation, will begin from October. Members of the public are encouraged to participate and represent their districts to compete in the Games.

     The inter-district sports competitions of the 8th HKG, scheduled for April 24 to May 29, 2022, will cover eight sports, namely athletics, badminton, basketball, futsal, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. Starting from next month, the 18 District Councils (DCs) will select the residents of their respective districts who meet the eligibility requirements through open district athlete selection to represent their districts in the sports competitions of the 8th HKG. Each participant can only enrol in the athlete selection of one district and compete in the HKG representing the district he or she lives in. An identity card and a valid proof of place of residence must therefore be presented during enrolment.

     There will be Champion, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up prizes awarded to athletes or teams in each individual competition, as well as Overall Champion, First Runner-up, Second Runner-up and the "District with Impressive Progress" prizes for winning districts in each of the eight sports competitions. The three districts accumulating the highest total scores from the eight sports competitions will be awarded the Overall Champion, Overall First Runner-up and Overall Second Runner-up prizes of the 8th HKG. There are also the "District with the Most Gold Medals" prize, the "District with the Greatest Participation" prize, the "District with the Best Progress" prize, the "District with the Best Sportsmanship" prize and the "District with the Strongest Cheering Squad" prize.

     A series of diversified community participation programmes will also be organised by the 8th HKG to enable more members of the public to participate in and support the HKG in different ways. For instance, the "Star-studded Classroom - Elite Athletes' Demonstration and Exchange Programmes" will be held from late September to mid-October, in which elite athletes and experienced coaches will take part in demonstration and play-in sessions. Also, through taking part in fitness tests of the "Sports Legacy - Exercise to Get Super Fit" programme, participants will be able to identify their potential in sports. In addition, the "Webinars of the Hong Kong Games - The New Normal of Sports and Wellness Series", which were held between February and April this year, and the Sports Seminar will also be held by the LCSD to disseminate to the public the messages of exercise and health. The popular Vitality Run will again be held in March next year. Moreover, the 18 Districts' Pledging cum Cheering Team Competition and a photo contest will also be held to encourage people to keep active and to echo the HKG's slogan of "Our City, our Games".

     The HKG is a major multi-sport event with the 18 DCs as participating units. The event aims at encouraging the public to proactively participate in sports events, as well as promoting the "Sport for All" culture. In addition, the HKG can also enhance communication among districts and strengthen the public's sense of belonging to their districts and community cohesion.

     The 8th HKG is organised by the Sports Commission and coordinated by its Community Sports Committee, with the 18 DCs; the LCSD; the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China; the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates; the Hong Kong Badminton Association; the Hong Kong Basketball Association; the Hong Kong Football Association; the Hong Kong China Swimming Association; the Hong Kong Table Tennis Association; the Hong Kong Tennis Association; the Volleyball Association of Hong Kong, China; the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled and the Hong Kong Sports Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability as co-organisers.

     Details about HKG are available at the 8th HKG dedicated website (www.hongkonggames.hk). For enquiries, please call 2601 7671.

Ends/Monday, September 13, 2021
Issued at HKT 14:30

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