XN000022-1981-01-11 — Page 5

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 1981

SPORT EVENTS THRIVING IN ISLANDS DISTRICT

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A PREPARATORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN FORMED TO ESTABLISH AN ISLANDS DISTRICT SPORTS ASSOCIATION, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM SAID TODAY.

MR CHUI WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE THIRD ISLANDS DISTRICT ATHLETICS MEETING WHICH TOOK PLACE AT ABERDEEN SPORTS GROUND.

HE SAID THE ASSOCIATION, WHEN FORMED, WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CO-ORDINATING THE PROMOTION OF SPORTS IN VARIOUS ISLANDS OF THE DISTRICT AND TO ENTER DISTRICT TEAMS IN TERRITORY-WIDE COMPETITIONS.

MR CHUI DESCRIBED LAST YEAR AS A VERY EXCITING ONE+ FOR SPORTING ACTIVITIES IN ISLANDS DISTRICT.

BESIDES FORMATION OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, A DISTRICT FOOTBALL TEAM WAS TAKING PART IN THE NT DISTRICT SPORTS COMPETITION AND, HE UNDERSTOOD, A BASKETBALL TEAM WAS BEING FORMED.

+I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO SEE THE ENCOURAGING WAY IN WHICH LOCAL LEADERS AND RESIDENTS OF ISLANDS DISTRICT HAVE RESPONDED IN INITIATING AND PROMOTING THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES,+ MR CHUI SAID.

+ I AM SURE THAT, IN THE LONG TERM, ALL SUCH EFFORTS WILL PROVE TO BE WORTHWHILE AND BENEFICIAL TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT.+

FOR ITS PART, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO ENDEAVOUR TO IMPROVE DISTRICT RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, MR CHUI SAID.

WORK WOULD BEGIN THIS MONTH ON STAGE II OF THE CHEUNG CHAU RECREATIONAL GROUND PROJECT AND ON CONSTRUCTING A CHANGING ROOM FOR THE PENG CHAU SOCCER PITCH.

PLANS WERE ALSO IN HAND TO PROVIDE MINI-SOCCER PITCHES AND SPORTS GROUNDS IN TUNG CHUNG, YUNG SHUE WAN AND SOK KWU WAN IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR.

+1 AM SURE ALL THESE NEW SPORTS FACILITIES BEING BUILT OR PLANNED WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS PROMOTING SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT AND I HOPE THAT ALL CONCERNED WILL MAKE GOOD USE OF THEM,+ MR CHUI SAID.

TODAY'S EVENT WAS ORGANISED BY ISLANDS DISTRICT OFFICE, RURAL COMMITTEES, LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SPORTS ORGANISATIONS AND THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE. THERE WERE MORE THAN JO PARTICIPANTS IN THE ATHLETICS EVENTS.