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Henderson Land Group (Henderson Land) and the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) today announced details of the “Henderson Land Commendation Scheme for Elite Athletes”. Under this Scheme, Henderson Land will provide additional cash incentives to medallists at this year’s Asian Games.  Together with the amount offered by the existing “Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme”, an individual gold medallist and a gold medal-winning team will receive a total cash incentive of HK$800,000 and HK$1,600,000 respectively.  Henderson Land also support the medallists at the Asian Para Games to further recognise and reward the outstanding performance of Hong Kong elite athletes in the international sports arena.

Today’s press conference was officiated by Mr Lau Kong-wah JP, Secretary for Home Affairs; Mr Martin Lee Ka-shing JP, Vice-Chairman of Henderson Land Group; Mr Karl Kwok Chi-leung MH, Vice-President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China; Mrs Jenny Fung Ma Kit-han BBS JP, President of the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled; and Mr Michael Lee Tze-hau JP, Vice-Chairman of the HKSI.

Mr Martin Lee Ka-shing, Vice-Chairman of Henderson Land, said that he hoped the Commendation Scheme would motivate athletes to perform at the highest level and at the same time promote sports culture in the society. “We are delighted to support Hong Kong athletes who will take part in the Asian Games and shine on this major quadrennial sports event. I wish the Scheme would show our appreciation to and reward athletes who did their best and achieved good results. In the meantime, I believe our support to the Scheme would exemplify the role of the business sector in promoting the development of local sports and therefore motivating corporations to provide more support in future.”

Mr Michael Lee Tze-hau JP, Vice-Chairman of the HKSI, extended his gratitude to the HKSAR Government in facilitating this collaboration.  He also thanked Henderson Land for recognising the athletes’ significant contributions to the community. “Hong Kong athletes are committed to their training and competitions with the goal of doing their very best.  The upcoming Asian Games and Asian Para Games are their moments to shine, and we are delighted that cash incentives for the medallists are doubled in recognition of their never-give-up fighting spirit.  Henderson Land’s philanthropic work has been seen in many different corners of the community, and with their support extended to the sports sector this time, we believe that more talented athletes would be inspired to pursue their dreams,” he said.

HKSI Head Table Tennis Coach Chan Kong-wah and Head Windsurfing Coach Chan King-yin, together with boccia athlete Ho Yuen-kei, cyclist Leung Chun-wing, squash athlete Au Wing-chi and windsurfer Chan Hei-man, also attended the press conference to show their support for the Commendation Scheme.  The event included a sharing session, during which the athletes expressed their appreciation for the increased recognition given by the commercial sector and community as a whole.

Established by the HKSI in 1994, the Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (AIAS) provides cash incentives to local medal winners at various Major Games.  The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has been the title sponsor of the AIAS from 2016 to 2018, providing cash awards to outstanding Hong Kong athletes at six Major Games.  The Henderson Land Commendation Scheme, on the other hand, offers additional cash incentives on top of the AIAS to local medallists at the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

The HKSI is the Government’s elite sport training systems delivery agent and is committed to provide an environment in which sports talent can be identified, nurtured, and developed to pursue excellence in the international sporting arena and to inspire potential athletes to pursue a full-time sports career.

• Cash Incentives to Hong Kong Medallists at 2018 Asian Games
• Cash Incentives to Hong Kong Medallists at 2018 Asian Para Games