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Hong Kong sport will have more and more coaches with professional training when a total of 17 graduates were awarded certificates while 23 fellow students start a new term at a Ceremony held on 23 September at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI).

Organised by the Beijing Sport University (BSU) and administered by the HKSI, the Programme aims to provide formal training to those who intend to pursue a career in coaching, as well as to develop high quality coaches for Hong Kong sports. The Programme is Hong Kong's first ever degree course in sports training offered by the BSU in 1999 and the first batch of 18 students was graduated in 2004. Twelve students from Class 2001 and Class 2005 were also presented the Hongkong Bank Foundation scholarships with a total amount of HK$40,000 for their outstanding academic achievement.

Among the graduates (Class 2001) are Choi Fong-yue from basketball, Chan Siu-kit, To Yu-hang and Angie Tsang from wushu, as well as swimming coach Hung Chi-chiu. The Ceremony is also acted as the First Assembly for the Class 2005, with a mix of students including retired cyclist Ho Siu-lun and triathlete Lau Ching-yin.

Professor Frank Fu, Board of Director of the HKSI, thanked the continuous support from all parties concerned to make the Programme a success, saying, "Special thanks should go to the BSU who play a key role on introducing the programme to Hong Kong seven years ago. We are also grateful to respective National Sports Associations (NSAs) for their support over the years and, last but not the least, the Hongkong Bank Foundation for providing the scholarships to students with outstanding performance every year."

BSU is the only physical education university monitored by the government in China. Many world-class athletes, for instance, Huang Zhihong, world champion in shot put and Li Jing, world champion in pommel horse and parallel bars, were also graduated from this renowned university. Associate Professor Ma Bing, Director, Adult Education Department of the BSU, attended the Ceremony during his busy schedule. He appreciated the enthusiasm and commitment of Hong Kong students and is confident that the new group could match the success of their seniors.

At the Ceremony, Wong To-mui, graduate of Class 2001, shared her experience in study and handed a souvenir to Eric Chung and Ho Siu-lun, representatives of Class 2005, to show graduates' support and encouragement to their fellow classmates.

The five-year part-time degree programme consists of 25 module, including languages, sports psychology, sports nutrition, biochemical analysis of sports training, statistics in sports, education in sports, physical training and administration in sports training. In addition, students are required to choose a sport-specific elective, including theories and practicum, and they will be granted a Bachelor degree upon successful completion of all requirements.

The Hongkong Bank Foundation has committed more than HK$16 million to support the Hong Kong Coach Education Programme since 1992. Starting from 2000, the Foundation has been offering scholarships to students of the BSU Programme.

List of Graduates of Class 2001 for the Bachelor of Education in Sports Training (PDF)
List of Recipients for the Hongkong Bank Foundation Scholarships (PDF)