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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983
SIR EDWARD OPENS HONG KONG COLISEUM
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THE HONG KONG COLISEUM, ONE OF ASIA'S LARGEST AND FINEST INDOOR STADIA, WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, SIR EDWARD SAID: IN A CROWDED AND BUSY COMMUNITY SUCH AS OURS, WE MUST DO OUR BEST TO PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR SPORTS, RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL FACILITIES TO REACH ALL SECTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
+THE COMPLETION OF THE COLISEUM IS ANOTHER INDICATION OF THE DETERMINATION OF BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE URBAN COUNCIL TO PERSEVERE IN THIS TASK.+
THE OPENING OF THE COLISEUM ALSO COINCIDES WITH THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE URBAN COUNCIL.
SIR EDWARD BELIEVED THAT THE COLISEUM, WITH ITS 12 500 SEATS AND A FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED MULTI-PURPOSE ARENA OF 1 600 SQUARE METRES, WOULD SOON PROVE ITSELF TO BE A POPULAR VENUE FOR INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENTS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
THROUGH THE IMAGINATION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED, THE COLISEUM HAD BEEN BUILT TO AN EYE-CATCHING INVERTED PYRAMID+ DESIGN.
*THIS DESIGN IS NOT ONLY AESTHETICALLY APPEALING- IT ENABLES ALL SPECTATORS TO HAVE AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE ENTIRE ARENA,+ HE SAID.
+THE ARENA ITSELF HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR SPORTS, CULTURAL AND CONFERENCE PURPOSES, WITH FLEXIBLE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS AND WITH ALL BACKSTAGE, LIGHTING, SOUND AND ACOUSTIC REQUIREMENTS TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT.+
THE CAPITAL COST FOR THE BUILDING AMOUNTS TO OVER $140 MILLION, OF WHICH MORE THAN $23.5 MILLION WAS CONTRIBUTED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL.
IN HIS WELCOMING SPEECH, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY, SAID THE OPENING OF THE COLISEUM SYMBOLISES THE CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE URBAN COUNCIL.
HE POINTED OUT THAT MUCH OF THE MONEY FOR THIS PROJECT CAME FROM THE GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS PLANNING AND ERECTION.
+THROUGHOUT, THERE HAS BEEN THE CLOSEST WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE STAFF OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
+FROM THE OPENING TODAY THEY WILL MANAGE THIS FINE NEW CIVIC CENTRE FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE IN THE COMPETENT WAY WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT OF THEM,+ MR BRAY ADDED.
+THE CHAIRMAN