Athlete selection for 9th Hong Kong Games to begin next month (with photos)
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The Chairman of the 9th HKG Organising Committee, Professor Patrick Yung, announced details of the HKG in the launching ceremony held at Kowloon Park Sports Centre today (June 23). Executive Advisers of the Organising Committee Mr William Tong and Mr David Yip, Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee Mr Eric Fok, and Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services) Mr Benjamin Hung, also officiated at the launching ceremony today.
The 9th HKG will hold eight sports competitions including athletics, badminton, futsal, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. The 5-on-5 basketball competitions held in the past will be replaced by 3-on-3 basketball competitions, which is of higher popularity among youths. Moreover, three age groups (15 or below, 16 to 17, and 18 or above) will be introduced for individual sports events, namely athletics, badminton, swimming, table tennis and tennis competitions, to let more members of the public, particularly the younger generation, participate.
Eighteen districts will gradually carry out open selections of athletes to represent their districts from July this year to January 2024. Each participant can only enrol in the selection process for one district, and is required to present proof of place of residence during enrolment. Pre-event training will be provided to selected athletes with a view to enhancing their skills and co-operation among team members.
To enable more people with disabilities to take part in sports, Professor Yung said competitions of wheelchair basketball and swimming for people with intellectual disabilities will continue to be held in the 9th HKG, and competitions of boccia and table tennis for people with intellectual disabilities will be introduced. At the same time, demonstrations of urban sports events, namely breaking, sports climbing and skateboarding, as well as women's futsal, will be introduced so as to promote the "Sport for All" culture.
In addition, a series of community participation programmes will be held. They are elite athletes' demonstrations and sharing programmes, HKG Run and Exercise Together, the 18 districts' pledging and cheering team competition, a photo contest, and voting and guessing activities. Members of the public are encouraged to support and participate in the HKG in different ways, embracing the spirit of "Our City, Our Games".
The Organising Committee has also appointed 10 elite athletes as the Sports Ambassadors for the 9th HKG to assist in promoting the Games. They are Tang Yik-chun (athletics), Jason Gunawan (badminton), Li Ka-chun (futsal), Tsai Choi-kwan (3-on-3 basketball), Derick Ng (swimming), Lam Siu-hang (table tennis), Lynn Zhang (tennis), Thyllis Law (volleyball), Wong Pui-kei (sports competition of table tennis for persons with intellectual disability) and Kwok Wing (sports competition of lawn bowl for persons with physically disability). Together with representatives of the newly added urban sports demonstrations, they shared their stories of participation in sports at the ceremony today.
The HKG is a biennial major multi-sport event involving 18 districts as participating units. It aims to encourage the public to actively participate in sports events, enhance communication among districts, strengthen the public's sense of belonging to their districts and build community cohesion.
The HKG is organised by the Sports Commission and co-ordinated by the Community Sports Committee, with the Home Affairs Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and relevant national sports associations as co-organisers.
Details of the 9th HKG are available at the dedicated website www.hongkonggames.hk.
Ends/Friday, June 23, 2023
Issued at HKT 14:35
Issued at HKT 14:35
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