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A total of 70 Hong Kong coaches were honoured today (13 May) at the annual 2006 Hongkong Bank Foundation (HBF) Coaching Awards presentation ceremony for their dedication and contribution to athletes training and the booming sports development in Hong Kong.

Organised by the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC) and supported by the Hongkong Bank Foundation since 1993, the HBF Coaching Awards are the most prestigious Awards and the sole programme to recognise the achievements of coaches in Hong Kong.

At the presentation ceremony, Professor Frank Fu, Chairman of the HKCC, praised the awardees for their efforts in nurturing elite athletes in Hong Kong, saying: "We are proud of Hong Kong athletes for their record achievements in the Asian Games and the Far East & South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC Games) last year. Apart from the athletes' dedication, the remarkable results were also attributable to coaches who have dedicated to nurturing the elite athletes throughout the years."

Professor Fu further thanked HBF with their renewed support of HK$5 million to the Hong Kong Coach Education Programme in the next three years, benefiting coaches from the community, schools and elite levels to get training and accreditation qualification.

Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Asia Pacific Region, HSBC, also commended awardees for their effort and enthusiasm. She said: "There is an unfortunate tendency to overlook coaches who work so tirelessly behind the scenes to help the athletes every step of the way, every lap of the track, every hurdle. They clearly deserve more recognition. That's why the Hongkong Bank Foundation has been funding the coach education programme and the Awards since early 1990s."

The awards given out today are in six categories, namely Coach of the Year Awards which comprise individual sports and team events in both senior and junior athletes categories, Distinguished Services Award for Coaching, Best Team Sport Award, Coach Education Award, Coaching Excellence Awards and Community Coach Recognition Awards.

Cycling coach Shen Jinkang won the Coach of the Year Award in senior athletes, individual sport category. Under his guidance, local cycling athletes Wong Kam-po and Cheung King-wai achieved excellent results and won a gold medal in the Men's Individual Road Race and in the Men's 40 km Points Race respectively at the 15th Asian Games in Doha last year.

Table tennis coach Hui Jun and wheelchair fencing coach Zheng Kang-zhao were recipients of the Coach of the Year Awards in the senior athletes, team event category. Hui led the Hong Kong table tennis team to win one gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Doha Asian Games. Zheng has made a brilliant success in guiding his charges to perform with distinction at overseas competitions. In the 9th FESPIC Games, Hong Kong wheelchair fencing team captured four gold, five silver and six bronze medals.

In junior athletes categories, the Coach of the Year Awards for individual sport and for team event went to windsurfing coach Cheung Kwok-bun and fencing coach Wang Ruiji respectively. Cheung has helped lead the rising windsurfers to compete and win two gold medals in the Mistral Youth & Junior World Championships 2006 and a gold medal in the Mistral European Championships 2006. While Wang has nurtured the junior women's sabre team who was able to win a gold medal in the Asian Youth & Cadet Fencing Championships 2006.

The Distinguished Services Award for Coaching was presented to wushu coach Yu Liguang, who has made significant contributions to wushu in Hong Kong and has coached and developed nine wushu world champions over the past 10 years. Under his leadership, Hei Zhihong and Angie Tsang won two silver medals in men's taijiquan and women's nanquan events at last year's Asian Games respectively.

Cricket coach Robin Singh won the Best Team Sport Award for steering the Hong Kong cricket team to a silver medal at the Asian Cricket Council Trophy 2006 while windsurfing coach So Sum-yau won the Coach Education Award.

The Coaching Excellence Awards were presented to 54 coaches who have either guided an athlete or led a team to achieve outstanding performance at major international competitions, such as the Asian Games, FESPIC Games, the Asian and World championships in 2006. Another 15 coaches won the Community Coach Recognition Awards for having made a special contribution to the development of athletes and coaches in the community for a period of three consecutive years.

The HKCC, a joint committee of the Sport Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China and the HKSI, was established in 1991 with aims of formulating and implementing short-term and long-term strategies for the development of coach education and accreditation programmes in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Coach Education Programme has been funded by the HBF with a total commitment of more than HK$21 million since 1992. Throughout the years, over 20,000 coaches have been benefited from the training and recognition programmes in the Programme.

List of Recipients for the "2006 Hongkong Bank Foundation Coaching Awards" (PDF)