XN000022-1981-03-01 — Page 5

4

SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 1981

SPORTS PROMOTE COMMUNITY SPIRIT

*****

WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND BUILD UP OF POPULATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THERE IS A NEED NOT ONLY FOR PROVISION OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES, BUT ALSO FOR BUILDING UP COHESION AND A SENSE OF BELONGING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM,

SAID THIS TODAY (SUNDAY) AT THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH NEW TERRITORIES ATHLETICS MEETING AT WAN CHAI SPORTS GROUND.

MR CHUT SAID GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN PLAYING A LEADING ROLE IN PROMOTING RECREATION AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MAINLY THROUGH THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE.

A NEW TERRITORIES INTER-DISTRICT SPORTS COMPETITION CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR TO PROMOTE INTER-DISTRICT LEAGUES, INCLUDING A SOCCER LEAGUE WHICH STARTED IN DECEMBER AND A BASKETBALL LEAGUE WHICH STARTED ONLY LAST WEEK.

VOLLEY BALL, BADMINTON, TABLE-TENNIS AND TENNIS LEAGUES WOULD BE ORGANISED THIS YEAR.

NEARLY 500 ATHLETES FROM THE EIGHT NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS TOOK PART IN TODAY'S MEETING.

THE COMPETITION WAS DIVIDED INTO SECTIONS FOR MEN AND WOMEN AGED 19 OR OVER, FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 16 TO 18, AND FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 15 OR BELOW. THERE WERE 94 TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS.

MR CHU! SAID HE ENVISAGED THAT DISTRICT SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS WOULD GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AND PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN CO-ORDINATING LOCAL EFFORTS AND RESOURCES.

+BUT, IN THE LONG RUN, THEY WILL NEED TO HAVE A SOUND ORGANISATION STRUCTURE AND DEVELOP STRONGER MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP,+ HE SAID.

MR CHUI ALSO SAID THAT DISTRICT BOARDS PROPOSED IN THE WHITE PAPER WOULD PLAY AN EVER MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN NURTURING DISTRICT SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS.

+THERE WILL BE, I AM CONFIDENT, INCREASED AWARENESS AND RESPONSIVENESS ON THE PART OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TOWARDS THE NEEDS OF DISTRICT RESIDENTS AND INCREASED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PROVISION OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES,+ HE SAID.

ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE CEREMONY WAS MR CHARLES YEUNG, UNOFFCIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNTCL.

THE MEETING WAS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE HEUNG YEE KUK RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE AND THE NEW TERRITORIES SCHOOLS SPORTS ASSOCIATION.

THE

15