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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts
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Athletes took part in many international competitions during the year and made the most of these events to sharpen their skills. Highlights included the 2013 Asian Indoor Rowing Championships in Hong Kong at which Hong Kong won five medals: two gold, two silver and one bronze; the 6th Inas Open European Indoor Athletics Championships in Turkey at which Hong Kong won six medals: two gold, one silver and three bronze; the 2013 IPC Athletics World Series China Open Athletics Championships in China at which Hong Kong won one gold medal; the 2013 British International Disability Swimming Championships in the United Kingdom at which Hong Kong won seven medals: three gold, three silver and one bronze; the 2nd Bayreuth Open Table Tennis in Germany at which Hong Kong won one silver and one bronze medal; the 9th Inas World Athletics Championships in the Czech Republic at which Hong Kong won two silver medals; the 2013 Korea PTT Open in Korea at which Hong Kong won one silver and one bronze medal; the 2013 Inas World Swimming Championships in New Caledonia at which Hong Kong won 54 medals: 31 gold, 15 silver and eight bronze; the 2013 ITTF PTT Asian Regional Championships in China at which Hong Kong won two gold and one bronze medal; the Asian Youth Para Games, Malaysia 2013 (ID Events) in Malaysia at which Hong Kong won 15 medals: eight gold, four silver and three bronze; the 2nd Taichung Table Tennis Open for the Disabled 2013 in Taiwan at which Hong Kong won six medals: two gold, three silver and one bronze; and the 2013 Inas World Table Tennis Championships in Hong Kong at which Hong Kong won seven medals: one gold, one silver and five bronze.
Hong Kong athletes also achieved excellent results at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Korea, the 2013 HKSO Bowling Invitational Games in Hong Kong, the 2013 SO China National Football Competition in China, Special Olympics Unified Cup Football East Asia Regional Qualifier in China and the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games in Australia. Intellectually disabled athletes won 230 medals during the year, comprising 101 gold, 68 silver and 61 bronze.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Horse racing has been an iconic part of Hong Kong life for more than 150 years, and today Hong Kong is recognised as one of the leading jurisdictions in the sport worldwide. Racing is not only a favourite sport among local residents but also a 'must see' attraction for many overseas visitors. In the 2012-13 season, the city's two racecourses at Sha Tin in the New Territories and Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island attracted total attendance of more than two million, the highest for nine years, including 119,000 at the Chinese New Year race day alone.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of the world's largest racing organisations and football betting operators. It is Hong Kong's only authorised operator of horse racing and regulated football betting, and also operates the Mark Six lottery. It works closely with the government to meet public demand for gambling and combat illegal betting, playing a leading role in promoting responsible gambling.
The club was the first organisation in Asia to receive the highest Level 4 accreditation under the Responsible Gambling Framework of the World Lottery Organisation, and is also the major contributor to the Ping Wo Fund, established by the government to address problem gambling issues and provide counselling and remedial services.
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