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A certificate presentation ceremony for the 2005/06 Hongkong Bank Foundation School Coach Accreditation Programme was held last Friday (22 July) at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) during which 116 school coaches from over 100 schools were presented attendance certificates after completing a tough eight-day workshop.

Presented by Winnie Shiu, Community Relations Manager, Group Public Affairs of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Cheung Kwok-wai was awarded the Best in Sports General Theory Award while four teachers including Chow Bing-sun, Wong Yuk-ngor, Ho Hung and Li Lok-tsang earned the Best Performance Awards in their respective sports for their outstanding performances during the course.

Professor Frank Fu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC), said: "Since its inception in 1998, the School Coach Accreditation Programme has offered training courses in seven different sports: athletics, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, handball, table tennis and volleyball. More than 440 teachers have been accredited. The HKCC is grateful for the Hongkong Bank Foundation (HBF)'s enormous support to the Programme. The Committee will continue to provide school teachers with quality training in various sports to obtain school coach accreditation, and train more qualified coaches for school sports development."

At the ceremony, all participants also completed an eight-piece puzzle, symbolising a growing number of schools were benefited from the Programme over the past eight years.

The Programme, one of the four major components of the Hong Kong Coach Education Programme funded by the HBF, is initiated by the HKCC in 1998 and offered in partnership with the National Sports Associations. It aims to enhance the quality of school coaches working in primary and secondary schools and provide them with a chance to receive formal training and accreditation.

This year, the eight-day workshop comprised three modules - sports general theory, sports specific theory and practical sessions in three sports - athletics, badminton and volleyball. Participants have to obtain an average of 80% attendance rate in each session to be eligible for a certificate.

Having completed the workshop, participants are required to go through another 30 hours of practical coaching in their respective sports within a year for a "School Coach Certificate".

The Hong Kong Coach Education Programme (HKCEP) is supported by the HBF with a total funding of over HK$16 million since 1992 and administered by the HKSI. Apart from the School Coach Accreditation Programme, other major elements of HKCEP include HBF Coach Accreditation Programme, HBF Continuing Coach Education Programme, HBF School Coach Continuing Education Programme and scholarships to students of the Beijing Sport University Programme in Hong Kong.