XN000022-1984-06-19 — Page 7

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1984

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NEED FOR RECREATION, CULTURE STRESSED

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RECREATION AND CULTURE WERE IMPORTANT FOR A PROSPEROUS AND STABLE SOCIETY, THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON, TOLD THE ROTARY CLUB OF PENINSULA TODAY.

HE SAID IT WAS VITAL TO HAVE AVENUES OPEN FOR YOUTHS TO CHANNEL THEIR ENERGIES GAINFULLY AND HAPPILY.

MR WILLIAMSON SAID THERE WAS THE NEED TO AIM FOR STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE AND TO REACH OUT TO AS MUCH OF THE POPULATION AS POSSIBLE.

+THESE TWO AIMS TO +RAISE + AND TO +SPREAD+ ARE VERY OFTEN IN CONFLICT, AND A DELICATE BALANCE HAS TO BE ACHIEVED.

+ INDEED THERE ARE ONGOING ARGUMENTS IN MOST COUNTRIES ABOUT WHERE THE EMPHASIS SHOULD LIE AND THE BALANCE CHANGES OVER THE YEARS,+ HE SAID.

AS FAR AS SPORTS IN HONG KONG WAS CONCERNED THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED THE ADVICE OF THE COUNCIL FOR RECREATION AND SPORT +TO TRY AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO CONCEPTS OF ELITISM AND COMMUNITY SPORTS -- +RAISE AND SPREAD+.

HE SAID THAT THE MAIN AIM WAS TO MATCH +OUR PEERS IN ASIA+.

+THERE IS NO ILLUSION AS TO OUR ABILITY TO BREAK WORLD RECORDS, BUT HONG KONG'S RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS IN ASIAN COMPETITIONS IN SPORTS SUCH AS SWIMMING, TABLE TENNIS, JUDO, SQUASH AND LAWN BOWLS HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING.

+THE UNFLAGGING EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNING BODIES OF SPORT AND LATTERLY OF THE JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE IN TRAINING OUR ELITE SPORTSMEN IN THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS BEGINNING TO PAY-OFF,+ HE SAID.

ON +SPREADING+, WHICH INVOLVED ORGANISING AND PROMOTING COMMUNITY RECREATION AND SPORT ACTIVITIES AT GRASS ROOTS LEVEL, MR WILLIAMSON SAID MORE THAN FOUR MILLION PEOPLE HAD TAKEN PART IN SUCH EVENTS IN THE 10 YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RECREATION AND SPORTS SERVICE IN 1974.

THE RSS IS NOW A DIVISION OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT.

REFERRING TO THE MUSIC OFFICE, THE SECOND PART OF THE DEPARTMENT, HE SAID THE OBJECTIVES AGAIN RANGED FROM +ENCOURAGING EXCELLENCE. TO IN-DEPTH INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY+,

THE MUSIC