SPORT
26. Soccer is still the most popular sport in Hong Kong and this is reflected in Radio Hong Kong's sports coverage. Regular outside broad- casts are arranged to keep listeners in touch with league and shield matches, and challenge games between Hong Kong and visiting teams are always closely followed by sports listeners. During 1962-63 Chinese Service commentators were invariably present at all important functions with accounts of the games and interviews with the star players. Descrip- tions of other sporting events broadcast during the year included basket- ball, table-tennis, volley-ball, swimming and boxing.
27. Results of fixtures which did not merit fuller broadcast coverage were announced as soon as possible after the event. This was achieved by despatching the department's reporters to the various venues to send in the final scores and names of winners by telephone.
28. Horse racing is another popular pastime in Hong Kong and listeners keenly follow the forecasts and results. The three major events of the season, the Kwangtung Handicap, the Pearce Memorial Cup and the Hong Kong Derby, were all broadcast live. Results of other races were announced as soon as they were received by telephone.
29. Three other annual fixtures, the round-the-island 'Walkathon', the 'Cross-Harbour Race' and the Macau Grand Prix were broadcast live and interviews with the exhausted but happy winners were made at the time.
OTHER PROGRAMME NOTES
30. Apart from the programmes already mentioned above there were, of course, a great many other broadcasts of interest during the year covered by this report. The following are short notes on some of them.
New Year Round-up
31. Chinese New Year's Day fell on Friday, 21st January. This event, the most important in the Chinese calendar, received its widest coverage by Radio Hong Kong so far. No less than eight outside broad- cast points were set up on the Island and in Kowloon, and these were linked with the operation headquarters in Mercury House by V.H.F. Links and by land-lines. Throughout the evening and well into Chinese New Year's Day listeners were entertained by broadcasts of public shows arranged by Radio Hong Kong at the various venues, and by accounts of how others were celebrating this colourful festival.
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