XN000022-1984-11-11 — Page 9

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11,

1984

8

WHY SWIMMING IS STILL THE TOP SPORT

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SWIMMING IS STILL THE MOST POPULAR ACTIVE SPORT IN HONG KONG,

PARTICULARLY THE YOUNG WITH MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE ENJOYING THEMSELVES IN THE SEA AND IN SWIMMING POOLS. THIS CONFIRMS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TWO WAYS IN WHICH THE URBAN COUNCIL SUPPORTS AND PROMOTES SWIMMING: BY PROVIDING AND MANAGING THE POOLS AND BEACHES AND BY TEACHING PEOPLE TO SWIM COMPETENTLY AND SAFELY.

THIS YEAR THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY SWAM REGULARLY

THE FIGURE SETS HAVE BEEN JOINED BY 8 900 NEWCOMERS TO THE WATER. A RECORD FOR THE NUMBER OF ENTHUSIASTS WHO HAVE MASTERED THE BASIC

WITH AN SKILLS THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S +LEARN TO SWIM+ PROGRAMME. AVERAGE OF 30 LEARNER-SWIMMERS IN EACH CLASS, A TOTAL OF 307 CLASSES WERE HELD ANOTHER RECORD.

SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE COUNCIL HAS SPONSORED TWO INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING COMPETITIONS AND 10 LOCAL CONTESTS. IT HAS ALSO CO-SPONSORED A SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING COMPETITION, AN INTERNATIONAL WATER POLO COMPETITION, THREE WATER POLO CLASSES AND A DIVING COURSE.

IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S RECREATION AND SPORTS SERVICE, THE COUNCIL FUNDED A SUMMER AQUATIC PROGRAMME COMPRISING 58 SEPARATE ACTIVITIES. AMONG THEM WERE SWIMMING CLINICS, AND COURSES IN DIVING, LIFE-SAVING, SNORKELLING AND SYNCHRON I SED SWIMMING.

ALL OF THIS FOLLOWS FROM THE COUNCIL'S RECOGNITION THAT SWIMMING, PERHAPS THE HEALTHIEST OF ALL RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES HAS ATTRACTED AN EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS OVER THE PAST DECADE. LAST YEAR THERE WERE 2.5 MILLION ADMISSIONS TO THE URBAN COUNCIL'S SWIMMING POOLS AND THE CROWDS THAT FLOCKED TO THE BEACHES WERE ESTIMATED TO HAVE TOTALLED 12 MILLION PEOPLE OVER THE 12 MONTHS.

ALONG WITH ITS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE WATER SAFETY THROUGH THE SWIMMING CLASSES, THE COUNCIL'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX FOR EVERY 250 000 PEOPLE IN THE URBAN DISTRICTS.

WITH THE OPENING OF THE LAI CHI KOK COMPLEX LAST MAY, AND WITH THE WAN CHAI TRAINING POOL OPENING NEXT MONTH, THE COUNCIL IS NOW WITHIN SIGHT OF ACHIEVING THIS GOAL. IN FACT. WITH 11 POOL COMPLEXES NOW IN SERVICE, IT HAS ALREADY HIT THE TARGET IN SIX OF THE 10 URBAN DISTRICTS.

THE COUNCIL HAS EIGHT OTHER COMPLEXES IN THE PLANNING +PIPELINE+. THEY WILL BE LOCATED AT SHAMSHUIPO, KOWLOON PARK, SHUN LEE ESTATE, HO MAN TIN, JAVA ROAD, SHEK KIP MEI, HAMMER HILL AND SAM KA TSUEN (YAU TONG). IN ADDITION TO TRAINING FACILITIES, SEVERAL OF THESE NEW COMPLEXES WILL INCORPORATE +FUN+ ELEMENTS SUCH AS SLIDES AND WAVE POOLS.

/THE FIRST