XN000022-1984-03-02 — Page 11

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FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1984

MORE HANDICAPPED PEOPLE IN SPORTS

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MORE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE ARE TAKING PART IN SPORTS ACTIVITIES AND COMPETITIONS EVERY YEAR, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND SPORTS, MR DICKEN YUNG, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 7 000 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED MEN AND WOMEN TOOK PART IN SUCH EVENTS AS SWIMMING, TRACK AND FIELD, SOCCER, BASKETBALL AND BADMINTON, HE SAID.

MR YUNG WAS SPEAKING IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE HONG KONG SPORTS ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, AT A LIONS CLUB LUNCHEON MEETING.

HE SAID THAT WHEN THE ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1978 ONLY SEVERAL HUNDRED MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS WERE ACTIVE IN SPORTS.

BUT THE NUMBERS WERE INCREASING EVERY YEAR.

THIS IS INDEED A GOOD SIGN AS IT IS OUR AIM TO GET

AS MANY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS AS POSSIBLE TO BE ACTIVE IN SPORTS, + HE STRESSED.

ONE YEAR AFTER THE ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED, A GROUP OF 12 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS TOOK PART AT THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS, WINNING 18 MEDALS.

AND IN THE 1983 SPECIAL OLYMPICS, 16 ATHLETES TOOK PART, BRINGING BACK 11 GOLD, FOUR SILVER AND FOUR BRONZE MEDALS.

MR YUNG SAID THE ASSOCIATION PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE IN ENCOURAGING NATIONS IN THE ASIAN-PACIFIC REGION TO ESTABLISH SPORTS PROGRAMMES FOR THEIR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE.

GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF THIS, HE SAID THE ASSOCIATION HOSTED A LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE LAST YEAR FOR MORE THAN 70 DELEGATES FROM EIGHT COUNTRIES.

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