194
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
port, Macau lost 7-3. A team representing the South China Athletic Association had a successful tour of Australia, New Zealand and Malaya.
The horse-racing season ended on 23 April and the new season began on 5 November, a longer recess than usual, due to the construction of a new Members' Stand. 181 races were run. Popular interest was as keen as usual, and the sweep on the Kwangtung Handicap, run on 19 November, was a record figure. In the 1954-5 season Mr. J. F. Macgregor's chestnut pony, Strathian, won the highest stakes, with a total of $14,000.
In terms of gate numbers, basketball ranks second among the most popular games played in Hong Kong. The Hongkong and Kowloon Basketball Association was responsible for the visits of a greater number of overseas teams than have ever come to the Colony before in a single year. These included three from the United States, six from the Philippines, three from Korea, six from Taiwan, one from Malaya, and one from Vietnam. In November three men's and one women's teams from Hong Kong went to Malaya, Cambodia and Taiwan for interport games.
The annual Cross-Harbour Swimming Race was held under ideal conditions. Of the 288 starters, only 3 failed to complete the course in the stipulated 1 hours. Wan Shiu- ming, the winner, established a new record of
new record of 19 mins. 18.4 secs.
I
The Badminton Association had a busy time at the start of the year trying to raise funds to send a team to India to compete in the finals of the Asiatic Zone of the Thomas Cup International Competitions; Hong Kong having beaten Japan in November 1954 at the Macpherson Playground, Kowloon. When it became clear that the Badminton Asso- ciation would not be able to raise enough money for the purpose, the Jockey Club and the Amateur Sports Federation gave financial help. As a result Hong Kong was represented by a team of five at the Competitions, which were held in Bombay, in April. India won by 9 matches to nil.
Two American Badminton players, Messrs. Dick Mit- chell and Carl Loveday, visited the Colony in May and played a series of exhibition games with local players.