XV
SPORT
The year 1952 was a vintage year for sport in the Colony. The highlight was the participation for the first time of Hong Kong athletes in an Olympiad. Four swimmers, two men and two women, were sent to Helsinki, and although the achievements of the Colony's athletes were not outstanding much valuable knowledge was gained.
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The Children's Playground Association with the financial help of the Jockey Club commenced building centre in Kowloon. The Association was honoured by H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent who laid the foundation stone. The centre will be called the 'Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre' and will be situated in one of Kowloon's most crowded areas, facilities being available for miniature football, basket ball, volley ball and any game which needs a small covered stadium.
A new sports stadium will be built by Govern- ment at Sookunpo. The stadium has been designed to seat 35,000 with provision for expansion later. It will solve many of the present problems of accommodating spectators at large sporting functions.
The scheme for pooling playing-grounds, whereby any club or organization can hire from Government a well-equipped pitch for a reasonable sum, was inaugurated in the autumn and has proved very success- ful. When this scheme is finally completed, facilities will be available for most organized league games, Association and Rugby football, hockey and cricket, to be run without congestion of fixture.
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SPORT