XN000022-1982-02-04 — Page 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1982

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CHONG HING WATER SPORTS CENTRE

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A SECOND WATER SPORTS CENTRE TO BE MANAGED AND OPERATED BY THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT WILL BE READY FOR USE DURING THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS.

CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE CENTRE, KNOWN AS THE CHONG HING WATER SPORTS CENTRE BECAUSE OF A DONATION OF ALMOST $2 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT BY THE LIÙ CHONG HING BANK, IS WELL ADVANCED.

AND TO MARK THE BIRTH OF THE CENTRE, THE SECRETARY FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, THIS AFTERNOON INSPECTED THE PROJECT AND OFFICIALLY LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE.

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, AND THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE LIU CHONG HING BANK, MR LIU LIT-FOR, WERE ALSO PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY.

IN HIS ADDRESS, MR WIGGHAM SAID THE ARTIFICIAL LAKE CREATED BY THE COFFER DAM AND THE MAIN WESTERN DAM OF THE HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR, WAS AN IDEAL PLACE FOR TRAINING BEGINNERS IN ALL TYPES OF WATER SPORTS.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO BUILD THE HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR MORE THAN A DECADE AGO HAD OTHER ADVANTAGES, IN PARTICULAR THE OPENING UP OF LARGE AREAS OF COUNTRYSIDE TO PEOPLE FROM THE URBAN AREAS.

THIS, HE CONTINUED, LED TO THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK.

+ BUT AS FAR AS MY OWN DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED, WE HAD SPECIAL INTERESTS- AND JUST AS WE WERE ABLE TO CONVERT THE ENGINEERS' QUARTERS INTO THE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND POPULAR LADY MACLEHOSE HOLIDAY VILLAGE, SO ALSO ARE WE ABLE TO CONVERT THE AREA OF THIS COFFER DAM INTO A WATER SPORTS CENTRE, MR WIGGHAM SAID.

THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAD BEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION, PARTICULARLY FROM YOUNG PEOPLE.

+1 HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS CENTRE WILL BE EVERY BIT AS SUCCESSFUL AS ITS PLANNERS WOULD WISH, HE SAID.

MR WIGGHAM THEN THANKED THE LIU CHONG HING BANK AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR HELPING IN BRINGING THE CENTRE INTO REALITY.

THE CENTRE COVERS AN AREA OF 18.3 HECTARES AND CONSISTS OF TWO MAJOR SINGLE-STOREY BLOCKS HOUSING A DORMITORY, CHANGING FACILITIES, OFFICE SPACE AND A KITCHEN AND CANTEEN.

/OTHER FACILITIES