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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MOTION.
CHAIRMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
The debate on the Statement of Aims for 1969, which was adjourned from the meeting held yesterday, will now resume. The first speaker on this Motion today is Mr. Wilson WANG.
MR. WILSON T. S. WANG:--Mr. Chairman, as this year's Olympiad has only just been concluded, I feel it is indeed an opportune moment today to express my deepest concern on the general unawareness of the importance of Sports in Hong Kong.
For the first time, we in Hong Kong were able to join the millions and millions of people throughout the world to enjoy a live and close-up view of the events through the programmes provided by our T.V. network which was made possible with a satellite transmission. I, as a viewer, was much impressed by the glamour and the spectacle, the excitement and the enthusiasm, and the superb technique and prowess displayed by the athletes, and I cannot help reflecting on the extent to which our standard in sports here in Hong Kong is falling behind.
It is not, however, the glory that goes to others in winning medals nor the disappointment at our not having won one that captured my imagination, but the amazing efforts that were put into organizing an Olympiad of such magnitude. It is sometimes hard to believe that the winning of a medal can make a nation jubilant or that the clipping of a tenth of a second or the clearance of one or two extra inches can hit the headlines all over the world. Those who would still regard sports as an extravagant kind of recreation and a pastime only for those who can afford it, may have been amazed to note that its participation is not limited to the well-developed countries alone. Then there is the fantastic amount of money that has been spent by the hosting as well as the visiting countries. If so many countries throughout the world have thought fit to participate in spite of the very considerable cost, there must be some good reasons for doing so.
But then, when we compare our own efforts to promote Sports with those made elsewhere, we at once notice how miserably small ours have been. I would urge all of us to give this appalling state of affairs most serious consideration. Should it be left entirely to voluntary effort or should Government accept the prime responsibility for it? All nations throughout the world recognize the value of sports as a spur to the physical fitness of its people and accept the fact that it also helps to develop higher morale and loyalty among them. I strongly advocate that Government should play a more active part in promoting a lively interest and keenness in sports in Hong Kong.
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There is, clearly, a general unawareness of our people of the importance of participating in some form of daily exercise or sports or recreation as a means of acquiring good health. There is indeed an urgent need to implement an extensive programme to alert, organize and encourage our people, old and young, in some forms of healthful sports or physical exercise. In many countries, this task falls on the shoulders of Government authority at a very high level, heavily financed by the public purse and undertaken by very well-qualified personnel.
It was in 1965 that Mr. GILL of the Central Council of Physical Education of England, in his survey on Recreation for young people, recommended that there should be a committee appointed by Government to include members from leading sports bodies and to act as an advisory group to Government for the promotion of Community Sports and Recreation, or at least, that there should be the appointment of a Community and Recreation Officer within the Urban Services Department. Although there may be some who may be sceptical about his recommendation, I am, however, most anxious to see its early implementation.
In all spheres of activities, there are always some who are more fortunate than others: some privileged and some under-privileged. In the 7 associations in which I have actively participated, I have never enjoyed a moment in which there was nothing found wanting—be it shortage of a few badly needed dollars or a few more acres of space to enable an enthusiastic council to carry out a more effective programme. Many a time I have wished there was an officer in Government to whom the association could present its balance sheet, a report of its activities and a plan of its proposed activities. The Education Department is not there to deal with activities outside the schools. Sports bodies are not connected with the Social Welfare Department, nor is it within the jurisdiction of the Urban Council to deal with matters other than development and management of playgrounds.
I wish someone could tell me whom to turn to when Government assistance is required.
I am far from being an authority on sports. There are in fact one or two games about which I still haven't got a clue, although they are played in the most prominent places in Hong Kong. But it seems to me that if we accept the fact that more public funds are needed for the promotion of community sports in Hong Kong, we must start with the appointment of a proper advisory group and/or a qualified secretariat to make recommendations to Government on the multiple aspects of development in this field of activities.
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