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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts
employment support. In 2015, athletes in 17 Tier A sports (athletics, badminton, billiard sports, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, karatedo, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling, windsurfing and wushu) received dedicated support under the institute's Elite Training Programme. The institute also supports athletes in 13 Tier B sports. (dance sports, dragon boat, equestrian, golf, judo, kart, lawn bowls, mountaineering, orienteering, roller sports, skating, taekwondo and triathlon) as well as outstanding athletes under an Individual Athletes Support Scheme and a Disabled Sports Elite Training Programme.
The institute's $1.8 billion redevelopment, completed in 2014, provides new, state-of-the-art facilities for training high-performance athletes. Its $7 billion Elite Athletes Development Fund, established in 2012, offers a sustainable long-term source of financial support for the institute's operation.
Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China is recognised as a National Olympic Committee by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is a member of the IOC, the Olympic Council of Asia, the Association of National Olympic Committee and the East Asian. Games Association. It is responsible for organising Hong Kong's participation in all major international multi-sports games, such as the Olympic Games (Summer and Winter), Asian Games (Summer and Winter) and East Asian Youth Games.
With a membership of 76 National Sports Associations (NSAs) and sports organisations, the federation represents the collective voice of the Hong Kong sports community. Most of its members are NSAs, which are in turn affiliated to their Asian federations (AFs) and international federations (IFs). They are empowered to co-ordinate and conduct a wide range of activities related to their sports, ranging from recreational programmes for beginners to training elite athletes. They also organise and sanction participation in overseas multi-sports competitions and train coaches and referees. As well, they implement and enforce local and international rules and regulations and represent Hong Kong at IF and AF meetings.
The federation co-ordinates a four-month Festival of Sport each year, featuring about 80 sporting activities organised by more than 60 NSAs to promote sport for all. It also organises extensive educational programmes for sports leaders, administrators, coaches and technical officials free of charge, notably through the Hong Kong Olympic Academy, which offers free sports management and sport science courses and programmes.
The federation's Hong Kong Athletes Career and Education Programme provides financial support from the government and commercial sponsors for athletes to obtain an education and a career after retiring from athletic life.
The Hong Kong Anti-Doping Committee, an independent working group under the auspices of the federation, plans and implements an anti-doping programme to maintain a doping-free environment for fair play in sports.
Each year, with the support of sponsors, the federation organises the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards, the 'Oscars' of local sport, to recognise the achievements of top athletes. At the
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