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Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the HKSI announced the launch of the Jockey Club Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme today at The Oasis, Central Market.

Ms Donna Tang, Executive Manager, Charities (Sports, Culture & Institute of Philanthropy) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Mr Tony Choi MH, Acting Chief Executive of the HKSI, jointly officiated at today’s launch ceremony alongside a team of elite athletes, including fencer Ng Lok-wang, gymnast Shek Wai-hung and squash player Ho Tze-lok.

The Jockey Club Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme, a three-year campaign, aims to supercharge local interest in sport by enlisting Hong Kong's elite athletes to interact with the public. Sports PLUS represents the uniquely all-encompassing role that sport plays in enhancing lives and societies. More than just play, sports participation has tremendous added value and impact, from promoting personal health to fostering community togetherness. 

It also seeks to raise the profile of the elite athletes and create a groundswell of support for Team Hong Kong ahead of a packed schedule of multi-sport competitions in the coming three years.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has attached great importance in local sports development and recognised the transformational power of sport, so its support for the Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme is therefore a natural fit. The Club’s Charities Trust will work hand in hand with the HKSI to share the full benefits of sport, raise the profile of our elite athletes and bring positive energy to the community.

“We are delighted to partner with the Trust on this meaningful programme. With their fulsome support, we are confident of achieving our goals and bringing people together through the power of Sports PLUS,” said Mr Tony Choi MH, Acting Chief Executive of the HKSI. “Apart from the community perspective, the Programme also provides an important platform to support the future career development of the elite athletes when they conclude their sporting careers.”

Campaign Goals

Each year, a unique theme will be adopted for the Jockey Club Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme. This year’s theme is “Discover More”, with the objective of encouraging the general public to discover the multifaceted nature of sports. Through a series of community sporting events and collaborations across the city, the public will have the chance to appreciate the holistic value of sports beyond the inherent health benefits.

The Programme will provide a win-win opportunity for participating athletes to enhance themselves personally and professionally. They will receive experiential and practical learning opportunities across a variety of post-athletic career paths through the campaign.

A Winning Start

There will be a number of important international competitions and large-scale sports games ahead in the next three years, today’s launch is timely. The athletes attending the kick-off ceremony of the Jockey Club Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme exhibition at The Oasis helped set the tone for the campaign, sharing their inspirational stories while playing the Giant Board Game. The roving exhibition will move on to the HKTDC Book Fair 2023 cum Sports & Leisure Expo from 19 to 25 July.

The athletes also viewed the “Cheer Express” corner at the exhibition, which opened on 29 June and has already drawn hundreds of messages of support for them from the public.

“I am really excited to be here to support the programme. Like all athletes, I am a great believer in the power of ‘Sports PLUS’ and find the scope of this programme incredible. I can’t wait to represent the HKSI and my fellow athletes in engaging with the community. I am also interested to gain more life experience and sharpen my skills in areas outside of my career in sport, such as improving my presentation and public speaking skills,” Ng Lok-wang said.

Shek Wai-hung said, “I really liked the exhibition’s giant board game, which allows the public to experience the career path of an elite athlete through game-playing. It was a good demonstration of the ups and downs in the athlete’s journey, and it shows that success only comes from hard work, which is just as true in school or in a job. Last but not least, the support from friends, family and the public is very important.”

Ho Tze-lok was also excited to be invited as a guest at the launch ceremony: “I look forward to staying involved in the coming years, especially to visit local schools and interacting with Hong Kong youth. Also, I really enjoyed walking around at the exhibition. I hope one day some of my sporting gear will be displayed at an exhibition like this too.”

Gameplan

The roving interactive exhibition kicks off a full programme of events and promises to draw tens of thousands of spectators, creating invaluable awareness to the Programme during its launch period. However, the exhibitions are only one facet of this far-reaching campaign. 

A comprehensive year-round programme of school visits, seminars, experience sharing sessions and athlete engagement opportunities are also essential hallmarks of the sustained Jockey Club Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme. Details of the various campaign engagements will be announced at a later date.

About the Programme

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and organised by the HKSI, the Jockey Club Sports PLUS Elite Athletes Community Programme sets to share the added values of sport with the wider community. The three-year programme (2023-26) is also designed to increase awareness and raise support for Hong Kong’s elite athletes as they participate in major national, regional and international competitions in the coming three years. The holistic campaign targets every sector of the community and features sustained outreach through a varied programme of school visits, sports club outreach, hosted tours of the HKSI, exhibitions and other community engagement initiatives across Hong Kong.