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With more public resources to be invested in elite sports development as recently announced by the HKSAR Government, there is a pressing need for coaches to understand more on how to identify talented athletes for the future of Hong Kong. The 14^th Hongkong Bank Foundation Elite Coaches Seminar, with a topic of "Sporting Talent Identification and Development", was held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute today (Saturday) and successfully attracted over hundred local and overseas coaches to attend.

Four renowned speakers presented at the Seminar include two Mainland experts, Shen Xun-zhang from the Shanghai Research Institute of Sports Science and Professor Xing Wen-hua, Leader of China's Talent Identification Expert Team. Shen, Director of the Shanghai Research Institute of Sports Science and has published some 80 related dissertations and researches, spoke on the topic "Testing and Measurement of Talent Identification" while Professor Xing, one of the pioneers at the Beijing Sport University to start the scientific research of talent identification on Chinese athletes, discussed on "The Evolution of Scientific Research on Talent Identification".

The other two speakers were Dr Deborah Latouf from the Australia Sports Commission and Dr Stephen Norris from the Canadian Sport Centre, who spoke on "Current issues in Talent Identification and Development" and "Athlete/Player Development Strategies" respectively.

John Fan, Member of the Hong Kong Coaching Committee, when welcoming Yin Feifei, Head of the All-China Sports Federation delegation at the Opening Ceremony of the Seminar, said, "The Annual Hongkong Bank Foundation Elite Coaches Seminar provides a platform for exchanging ideas among overseas and local coaching professionals, particularly with the linkage between Hong Kong and Mainland China. We all understand that a well planned and organised talent identification and development programme is essential to the successful development of every sport."

Yin Feifei, who is also the Deputy Director of Education Division, Sports Science and Education Department, All-China Sports Federation of China, shared the same view in her remarks by saying, "The Seminar, launched in 1993, provides an international forum for sports professionals and elite coaches to exchange views and insights on enhancing the quality of sports training in Asia and has become a highlight event of sports field in the region. We are very pleased to work with the Hong Kong Coaching Committee in organising the event and further promoting coach training in the Asian region."

Apart from the two famous speakers for the Seminar, the Mainland delegation also comprise officials from a number of individual sports administration centres in China such as badminton, football, judo, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

Jiang Hong-wei, head coach of the Chinese tennis team, was also a member of the delegation. He is the major force behind the recent success of Chinese women's double on the international stage, with Zheng Jie and Yan Zi claiming two gland slam doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year and Li Na reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals and last 16 at the US Open and enjoying a career high world ranking of 20.

Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Coaching Committee and the All-China Sports Federation with the funding from the Hongkong Bank Foundation, the aim of the annual Seminar is to provide a platform for exchange of ideas and expertise between overseas and local coaching professionals, with particular emphasis on strengthening the linkage between Hong Kong and Mainland China.