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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1978
PHYSICAL EDUCATION OFFICER RETIRES
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A WELL-KNOWN FIGURE IN HONG KONG SPORTS HAS RETIRED FROM GOVERNMENT SERVICE AFTER 20 YEARS.
HE IS MR. MICHAEL CASWELL, PRINCIPAL EDUCATION OFFICER OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION AND SPORT UNIT WHICH HE HELPED SET UP IN 1974.
MR. CASWELL WAS BORN IN 1926 AND EDUCATED AT BRYANSTON SCHOOL. HE WAS COMMISSIONED IN THE BRITISH ARMY DURING WORLD WAR 11 AND LEFT THE ARMY AS A CAPTAIN IN 1948.
HE UNDERTOOK FURTHER STUDIES AT LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE AND THE STATE GYMNASTIC INSTITUTE IN DENMARK, SPECIALISING IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION AND SPORT.
MR. CASWELL JOINED THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AS A SPECIALIST IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN 1958. PREVIOUSLY, HE WAS IN CHARGE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AT KING'S SCHOOL, CANTERBURY, THE OLDEST PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ENGLAND.
IN 1966, HE WAS APPOINTED AS EDUCATION OFFICER AND PRINCIPAL INSPECTOR IN 1973.
MR. CASWELL WAS PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL EDUCATION OFFICER, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION AND SPORT UNIT, IN 1974 TO HEAD THE NEWLY FORMED GOVERNMENT RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE.
IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, MR. CASWELL FULLY INVOLVED HIMSELF IN THE EXPANSION AND THE GROWTH OF THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORT IN HONG KONG.
HE TOOK THE HONG KONG HOCKEY TEAM TO PARTICIPATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE 1964 OLYMPIC GAMES HELD IN TOKYO, JAPAN,
MR. CASWELL ALSO DEVOTED MUCH OF HIS TIME AND ENERGY ON DEVELOPING RECREATION AND SPORT FOR THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED
IN HONG KONG.
IN RECOGNITION OF HIS CONTRIBUTION, MR. CASWELL WAS AWARDED THE QUEEN'S SILVER JUBILEE MEDAL IN JUNE, 1977.
HE LEFT HONG KONG EARLIER THIS MONTH ON PRE-RETIREMENT LEAVE.
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