MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1980
HK TOPS ALL AT COMMONWEALTH FESTIVAL
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM RETURNED TODAY (MONDAY) FROM CYPRUS WHERE HE HAD BEEN REPRESENTING HONG KONG IN THE FIRST COMMONWEALTH_FILM AND TELEVISION FESTIVAL, WITH AN ARMFUL OF AWARDS PRESENTED TO HONG KONG.
+IT WAS ALMOST EMBARRASSING,+ SAID MR WIGGHAM. +I WENT AWAY WITH MORE MEDALS THAN ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE 26 COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES TAKING PART. AT ONE STAGE THE PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS, MR SPYROS KYTYRANOU, WHO WAS PRESENTING AWARDS IN THE MAKARIOS STADIUM IN NICOSIA, SUGGESTED I SHOULD STAND ON THE PLATFORM WITH HIM TO SAVE THE JOURNEY BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS TO MY SEAT.+
IN THE TELEVISION COMPETITION, HONG KONG WON A SILVER MEDAL WITH RTHK'S THE YOUNG CONCUBINE+, IN THE SECOND COMMONWEALTH PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION, RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH THE FILM AND TELEVISION FESTIVAL, HONG KONG PHOTOGRAPHERS WON TWO GOLD AND ONE BRONZE. THE FIRST GOLD MEDAL WAS WON BY SUNNY LEE OF THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH +HAPPY JOSS+ WHILE THE SECOND GOLD WAS AWARDED TO HONG KONG FOR THE BEST GROUP ENTRY IN THE BLACK AND WHITE SECTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND ITS PEOPLE+. THE BRONZE MEDAL WAS WON BY TANG PO YUEN WITH HIS GOING STRONG+.
BY COINCIDENCE, THE PHOTOGRAPH WHICH WON THE GOLD MEDAL IN THE COLOUR SECTION OF +COMMONWEALTH CULTURE AND TRADITION+ ALSO HAD HONG KONG CONNEXION: IT WAS ENTITLED +HONG KONG DANCERS+ AND WAS TAKEN BY GEORGE LANITIS OF CYPRUS, AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
IN EDMONTON IN 1978.
IN ADDITION TO PARTICIPATION IN THE FILM AND TELEVISION FESTIVAL, HONG KONG PLAYED A LEADING ROLE IN THE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMME, WITH THE YOUNG MUSICIANS AND DANCERS OF THE HONG KONG +JING YING+. THE 22 MEMBER WESTERN CHAMBER GROUP AND THE 12 MEMBER CHINESE ENSEMBLE WERE RECRUITED AND TRAINED BY THE GOVERNMENT MUSIC OFFICE WHILE THE 12 MEMBER CHINESE DANCE GROUP WAS ORGANISED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG SCHOOL DANCE ASSOCIATION.
+ THE GROUPS WERE GIVEN RAVE NOTICES IN THE CYPRUS NEWSPAPERS, REPORTED MR WIGGHAM. +EVERYBODY LOVED THEM - NOT JUST FOR THE IR TALENT, BUT FOR THE WAY THEY SO OBVIOUSLY ENJOYED THE IR PERFORMANCE AND THE WAY THE YOUNG PEOPLE BEHAVED BOTH ON AND OFF THE PLATFORM. AS ONE INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT COVERING THE FESTIVAL SAID TO ME, THEY HAVE DONE A LOT FOR HONG KONG'.+
FOR THEIR ATTENDANCE AT THE COMMONWEALTH FESTIVAL IN CYPRUS, THE JING YING+ GROUP WHICH LEFT HONG KONG AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST ALSO PERFORMED IN ISRAEL. THE YOUNG MUSICIANS AND DANCERS ARE NOW IN LONDON FOR A FEW DAYS, WHERE THEY WILL GIVE A SHORT OUTDOOR CONCERT IN THE SQUARE AT COVENT GARDEN, AND RETURN TO HONG KONG LATER THIS WEEK.
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