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FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1985
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HANDICAPPED TEAMS PRAISED FOR SPORTS VICTORIES
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THE SECRETARY FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES, MR GRAHAM BARNES TODAY (FRIDAY) CONGRATULATED MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG MENTALLY- HANDICAPPED ICE SKATING TEAM AND THE JUNIOR WHEELCHAIR SPORTS TEAM ON THE IR +REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS+ IN OVERSEAS EVENTS.
ADDRESSING THE TEAMS AT A RECEPTION AT THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH, HARBOUR CENTRE, MR BARNES SAID HE WAS PROUD TO HAVE THEM AS REPRESENTATIVES OF HONG KONG.
THE IR SUCCESSES WERE THE RESULT OF LONG, HARD TRAINING TO BUILD UP STRENGTH AND STAMINA, AND TO IMPROVE SKILLS, HE SAID.
+ I KNOW THAT THE ICE-SKATING TEAM TRAINED VERY HARD FOR THE 1985 INTERNATIONAL WINTER SPECIAL OLYMPICS IN WHICH SEVERAL THOUSAND COMPETITORS FROM MANY COUNTRIES TOOK PART.
+FOR THE SMALL HONG KONG TEAM TO RETURN WITH FIVE MEDALS IS A JUST REWARD FOR THEIR EFFORTS,+ HE SAID.
SIX MENTALLY-HANDICAPPED ATHLETES COMPETED IN SPEED SKATING AND FIGURE SKATING IN THE GAMES IN UTAH, THE UNITED STATES, IN MARCH AND GAINED ONE GOLD, TWO SILVER AND TWO BRONZE MEDALS, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HONG KONG HAD SENT A TEAM TO THE GAMES.
FIFTY U.S. STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, GERMANY, ITALY, JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ́ YUGOSLAVIA TOOK PART.
TURNING TO THE JUNIOR WHEELCHAIR TEAM, MR BARNES SAID HE WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED BY THE IR PERFORMANCE BECAUSE EVERY MEMBER HAD MANAGED TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL, THOUGH THEY WERE COMPETING AGAINST WELL-BUILT AND STRONG AUSTRALIAN COUNTERPARTS.
THE TEAM HAD TAKEN PART IN THE THIRD AUSTRALIA NATIONAL JUNIOR WHEELCHAIR GAMES IN MELBOURNE LAST MONTH AND RETURNED WITH 19 MEDALS - SEVEN GOLD, EIGHT SILVER AND FOUR BRONZE.
MR BARNES ALSO COMMENDED THE HONG KONG SPORTS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PHYSICALLY-HANDICAPPED AND SPORTS ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY- HANDICAPPED FOR THE IR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS.
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