MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1979
FIRST NT SPORTS FESTIVAL TO START NEXT MONTH
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THE FIRST EVER SPORTS FESTIVAL IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE HELD IN TSUEN WAN NEXT MONTH.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (MONDAY), THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, MR. JAMES HAYES, SAID HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 14-DAY FESTIVAL, WHICH STARTS ON NOVEMBER 3, WILL BE EXHIBITION MATCHES BY TOP PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL AND TENNIS PLAYERS,
+A TOTAL OF 31 EVENTS HAVE BEEN ARRANGED, HE SAID. BESIDES FOOTBALL AND TENNIS, OTHER SPORTS INCLUDED ARE BASKETBALL, BADMINTON, BOXING, VOLLEYBALL, BASEBALL, HANDBALL AND TABLE TENNIS. ALSO FEATURED WILL BE ATHLETICS, AQUATIC EVENTS, GYMNASTICS AND MARTIAL ARTS DISPLAYS, AND AN ARCHERY DEMONSTRATION.+
MR. HAYES SAID ADMITTANCE TO ALL BUT THREE OF THE EVENTS IS FREE AND LARGE LOCAL CROWDS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND.
THE FESTIVAL IS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE AND THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT RECREATION AND SPORTS ASSOCIATION.
MR. HAYES SAID THE IDEA OF THE FESTIVAL WAS THREE-FOLD - TO INCREASE ALREADY WIDE LOCAL INTEREST IN SPORT, TO RAISE SPORTING STANDARDS AND TO HELP PROMOTE A SENSE OF BELONGING AND INTEGRATION AMONG NEW COMERS.
HE SAID A GREAT MANY NEW RECREATIONAL AND SPORTS FACILITIES HAD BEEN PROVIDED TO MATCH A GROWTH IN POPULATION FROM 85 000 IN 1961 TO 600 000 AT PRESENT.
HE NOTED THE TOWN NOW HAS THREE SPORTS GROUNDS AND ONE LARGE SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX, AND A STEADILY GROWING NUMBER OF FOOTBALL PITCHES, BASKETBALL COURTS, AND SQUASH AND TENNIS COURTS. AN INDOOR GAMES HALL IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN KWAI CHUNG AND MANY OTHER NEW PROJECTS ARE IN THE ACTIVE PLANNING STAGE, INCLUDING TWO MORE SWIMMING POOL COMPLEXES.
MR. HAYES SAID THAT IN ADDITION TO PERMANENT FACILITIES, FUNDS HAD BEEN MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE LOCAL DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD TO INTRODUCE TEMPORARY SPORTS FACILITIES WHERE POSSIBLE.
WHILE SPORTS FACILITIES IN TSUEN WAN HAD BEEN INCREASING IN TYPE AND SCOPE, HE SAID, THEIR FULL UTILISATION WAS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE ENTHUSIASTIC PROMOTION OF SPORTS AND ORGANISED GAMES +BY THE BODY OF INTERESTED, COMPETENT AND KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO OUR LOCAL CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS.+
THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, WILL OFFICIATE AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD AT YEUNG UK ROAD SPORTS GROUND ON NOVEMBER 3. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, THE FIRST EXHIBITION FOOTBALL MATCH BETWEEN YUEN LONG AND HAPPY VALLEY WILL TAKE PLACE.
/THE SECOND
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