XN000022-1976-10-23 — Page 7

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1976

NEW FLOOR FOR MACPHERSON STADIUM

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MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR FAVOURITE SPORTS DEMONSTRATED BY INTERNATIONAL EXPONENTS ON COMPLETION OF THE TWO LARGE PUBLIC INDOOR STADIA AT MORRISON HILL AND HUNG HOM.

BOTH STADIA ARE EXPECTED TO BE READY IN 1979.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS. MR. DENIS BRAY, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE MACPHERSON STADIUM FOLLOWING ITS LATEST IMPROVEMENTS.

HE RECALLED THAT THE OPENING OF THE MACPHERSON AND SOUTHORN STADIA SOME 20 YEARS AGO MARKED A MAJOR STEP FORWARD.

HOWEVER, HE SAID: +WHEN WE LOOK AROUND US, WE CAN SEE THAT HAVING TAKEN ONE BIG STEP WE STOPPED.

+OUR SURROUNDINGS ARE AUSTERE AND FUNCTIONAL. WE HAVE LAGGED BEHIND IN HAVING A BUILDING IN WHICH WE COULD BE PROUD TO PLAY HOST TO OUR FRIENDS FROM OVERSEAS WHO DELIGHT TO COME TO HONG KONG TO MEET WITH THEIR FELLOW SPORTSMEN IN FRIENDLY COMPETITIONS.-

PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF THE TWO NEW STADIA, MR. BRAY SAID THAT, +WE WILL CONTINUE TO RELY ON THE GOOD OFFICES OF THE HONG KONG PLAYGROUND ASSOCIATION WHO HAVE SO READILY MADE THIS STADIUM AVAILABLE FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF INDOOR RECREATION.+

HE SAID THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MACPHERSON STADIUM HAD BEEN MADE POSSIBLE IN PART AS A RESULT OF A GENEROUS DONATION FROM AN ANONYMOUS CIVIC MINDED CITIZEN.

A NEW GRANWOOD FLOOR, HE ADDED, HAD NOW BEEN LAID SO THAT LOCAL SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A SUITABLE SURFACE ON WHICH TO PRACTISE AND SO TO IMPROVE THEIR STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE.

+OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES THIS FAR BETTER FLOOR SURFACE, HAVING AN ALL OVER CONSISTENCY, WILL PROVIDE A FIRM BASE WHICH WILL GIVE CONFIDENCE TO ITS USERS SO THAT THEIR SKILLS WILL DEVELOP TO A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL AND AT MUCH FASTER RATE.+ MR. BRAY SAID. +WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO COMPETE ON FAR MORE EQUAL TERMS WITH BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS.+

WATER SKI MARATHON IN TAI TAM BAY

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OWNERS, COXSWAINS AND PERSONS IN CHARGE OF LOCAL CRAFT ARE URGED TO EXERCISE DUE CAUTION WHEN NAVIGATING IN THE AREA OF TAI TAM BAY TOMORROW (SUNDAY).

ON THAT DAY, WATER SKI MARATHON RACES WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DAY IN THAT AREA.