XN000022-1986-01-04 — Page 16

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1986

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BIG INCREASE IN SQUASH COURTS TO MEET DEMAND

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THIS YEAR THE URBAN COUNCIL IS ALMOST TREBLING THE NUMBER OF SQUASH COURTS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. THERE ARE NOW 17 URBAN COUNCIL COURTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR THERE SHOULD BE 52. FURTHER, THE COUNCIL WILL STEP UP ITS TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR THOSE WANTING TO TAKE UP THE SPORT.

THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO GROWING PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE GAME. SQUASH RACKETS MAY STILL BE A MINORITY SPORT COMPARED WITH, SAY, SOCCER, BASKETBALL OR COMPETITIVE SWIMMING, BUT THE GROWING DEMAND IS MADE CLEAR BY THE USAGE RATES OF COURTS NOW IN OPERATION.

FOR THE FOUR COURTS IN VICTORIA PARK THE RATE LAST YEAR WAS 98 PER CENT. THE THREE COURTS AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM WERE IN SIMILAR HEAVY DEMAND (99 PER CENT).

INTENSE INTEREST IN THE SPORT IS ALSO REFLECTED BY THE DEMAND FOR BASIC INSTRUCTION. IN THE 1985/86 SEASON THE URBAN COUNCIL IS PROVIDING BEGINNERS' COURSES FOR 739 YOUNG PLAYERS, BUT FOR EVERY APPLICANT WHO WAS SUCCESSFUL ABOUT SIX HAD TO BE REGRETFULLY TOLD TO TRY AGAIN LATER, FOR LACK OF COURTS.

BECAUSE OF THIS SHORTAGE, THE URBAN COUNCIL HAS BEEN MAKING HEAVY USE OF COURTS OTHER THAN THOSE WHICH IT MANAGES ITSELF, FOR LEARN-TO-PLAY COURSES, EXAMPLES BEING THE SIX COURTS OF THE ISLAND SQUASH RACKETS CLUB IN BORRETT ROAD AND THE LIM POR YAN CENTRE COURTS IN KOWLOON. THIS PRACTICE WILL CONTINUE, BUT THE SHORTAGE WILL BE EASED BY THE COMPLETION LATER THIS YEAR OF COURTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

NOTABLE AMONG THESE NEW COURTS WILL BE THE 18 AT THE URBAN COUNCIL HONG KONG SQUASH CENTRE IN VICTORIA BARRACKS, WHICH SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR USE FROM AUGUST.

THE OTHERS ARE TWO COURTS AT THE LOCKHART ROAD INDOOR GAMES HALL IN WAN CHAI THREE AT THE HIU KONG STREET IGH IN KWUN TONG THREE AT THE CHUK YUEN IGH IN WONG TAI SIN FOUR AT THE NEW BOUNDARY STREET IGH FOUR AT THE PO ON ROAD MARKET COMPLEX IGH IN SHAM SHUI PO AND ONE AT THE NGAU CHI WAN COMPLEX IGH.

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