MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1980
DRAGON BOAT RACES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES
*****
DRAGON BOAT RACES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE HELD ON THE FESTIVAL DAY, NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 17, AT TAI O, CHEUNG CHAU, TAI PO, SAI KUNG, TUEN MUN AND TSING YI.
THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WILL ATTEND RACES AT TAJ O AT 12.30 PM AND AFTERWARDS GO TO CHEUNG CHAU WHERE HE WILL PRESENT PRIZES TO WINNING TEAMS.
AT TAI PO, RACES WILL TAKE PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME AT SHUEN WAN HOI, ALONG THE MAIN DAM OF PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR, AS THE TRADITIONAL VENUE AT YUEN CHAU TSAI IS BEING RECLAIMED FOR DEVELOPMENT. RACES WILL START AT 10.30 AM. FORTY TEAMS HAVE ENTERED. UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, WILL OFFICIATE AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION. ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, WILL ALSO BE PRESENT.
TO GET ROUND THE TRADITION THAT DRAGON BOATS ARE NOT TO BE ROWED BY WOMEN, THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE AT SAI KUNG HAS DECIDED TO DECORATE SOME OF THE BOATS SO THAT THEY RESEMBLE THE MYTHICAL BIRD, THE PHOENIX, INSTEAD OF A DRAGON. SIX WOMEN'S TEAMS WILL TAKE PART IN THE RACES.
BESIDES THE +PHOENIX+ BOATS, 12 DRAGON BOATS WILL ALSO COMPETE AT SAI KUNG, THE CHAMPION TEAM WILL REPRESENT THE DISTRICT AT THIS YEAR'S INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT INVITATION RACE ON JUNE 22.
THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, WILL BE THE GUEST OF HONOUR AT THE SAI KUNG RACES WHICH START AT 9 AM.
FIFTY TEAMS, REPRESENTING LOCAL FISHERMEN, SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, FACTORIES, COMMERCIAL FIRMS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE ENTERED THE TUEN MUN RACES TO BE HELD IN CASTLE PEAK BAY STARTING AT 9 AM. THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR LI FOOK-KOW, WILL PRESENT PRIZES.
AT TSING YI, WHERE RACES WILL START AT 10.30 AM, THE TOWN MANAGER AND DISTRICT OFFICER TSUEN WAN, MR JAMES HAYES, WILL OFFICIATE AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION.
t
12