News

The HKSAR Government continues to provide Hong Kong's elite athletes with enhanced opportunities for educational, personal and social development. Riding on the success and excitement of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, 26 elite athletes from 10 sports will participate in a tailor made Beijing Exchange Tour from 25 - 29 October.

Organised by the Government's elite sports delivery agent, the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) and with the support of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, the Exchange Tour aims to promote national education among elite athletes. By providing a platform for exchange between Hong Kong athletes and elite sports counterparts and professionals in the Mainland, Hong Kong athletes' knowledge of the history, culture, and development of the China elite sports system will be enhanced. Additionally, the athletes will have the unique opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of the vision and expertise required to successfully host, organise, and outperform competitors at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The Secretary for Home Affairs, Tsang Tak-sing, welcomed the initiative which enabled Hong Kong elite athletes to see for themselves the training programmes in the Mainland and exchange experience with their counterparts.

Tsang Tak-sing said, "I believe that the Exchange Tour will provide a valuable opportunity for our athletes, in particular those budding young athletes, to widen their horizon and enhance their personal growth and development as elite athletes. As pledged in the Policy Address, the Government would step up efforts on various fronts to promote sports development such as reinforcing support for elite athletes. We will continue to identify more opportunity for our athletes to receive training in the Mainland."

Led by the Honorary Heads of Delegation, Professor Chan Kai-ming, Vice-Chairman of the HKSI and Chan Ah-king, Deputy Director General of the Publicity, Culture and Sports Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, the delegation consists of athletes from Olympic, Paralympic and Asian Games sports.

Professor Chan said, "The Tour provides an excellent platform for the participating athletes and staff to exchange with China counterparts. This will expand their horizon and enhance their knowledge about the sporting system of our motherland."

Having just returned home after competing in the Beijing Olympics, rowing athlete Lee Ka-man is interested to join the Tour to understand more about the Mainland's sporting infrastructure. She said, "It is great for me to come back to Beijing again for exchange as I mainly focused on competition during the Beijing Olympics. Our motherland has had enormous development in sport and has organised an inspiring and successful Olympics. I can gain an understanding of how it all works through the visits and discussion sessions with my peers."

The delegation will visit the China International Sports Exchange Centre and various prominent historical sites in Beijing, such as the National Flag Lifting Ceremony at Tian An Men, National Sports Training Centre, National Sports Training Hospital and China Anti-doping Centre, to gain an in-depth understanding of the region's sport development.

The Exchange Tour is part of the Enhanced Athletes Educational and Vocational Development Programme of the HKSI funded by the Government. The programme aims to provide athletes with an integrated support system to enhance their personal growth and development as elite athletes.