XN000022-1986-03-17 — Page 3

MONDAY, MARCH

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HE HOPED THAT THROUGH THE COUNCIL FOR RECREATION AND SPORT AND THE TWO REGIONAL COUNCILS, GREATER PRIORITY WOULD BE GIVE: BOTH TO ORGANISATION AND TO TRAINING PROGRAMMES.

WITH GREATER EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING FUNDS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, THE GOVERNING BODIES OF SPORT WOULD BE STRENGTHENED BY A NEW BREED OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS, WHO WOULD PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE, NOT ONLY SPORTING EXCELLENCE BUT ACCESS FOR EVERYONE TO OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE AND SKILLS, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP A HAPPY AND HEALTHY HONG KONG, NOT A FORCING GROUND FOR SPORT IN ISOLATION, BUT SPORT AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF EDUCATION IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD - A DRAWING OUT OF THE SPIRITUAL, INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL QUALITIES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL.

TO ACHIEVE THIS BALANCE, HE SAID, WE AS A COMMUNITY MUST BE PREPARED TO INVEST IN SPORT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.+

+PAST INVESTMENT HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO PRODUCE DIVIDENDS AS ATHLETES, TRAINED IN EARLIER DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES, HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE NATIONAL SQUADS, AND, IN SOME INSTANCES, HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY REPRESENTED HONG KONG IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES.+

SIR DAVID SAID THAT THE STRATEGY FOR THE PAST DECADE HAD BEEN BASED ON ENCOURAGEMENT OF SPORTS AND RECREATION AT THE GRASS- ROOTS LEVEL-YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES, WHERE IT WAS HOPED TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP TALENT FOR THE FUTURE AND A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO THE TRAINING OF THE BEST ATHLETES, WHO WOULD BE GIVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES BY TRAINING UNDER THE BEST COACHES TO RAISE THEIR STANDARDS THROUGH LOCAL AND OVERSEAS COMPETITION.

+

ON PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN IMPROVING SPORTS AND RECREATION, SIR DAVID SAID THAT A WORKING GROUP OF THE COUNCIL FOR RECREATION AND SPORT HAD PRODUCED A REPORT IN EARLY 1983. THE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED WERE: A NEED FOR IMPROVED PLANNING AND CO-ORDINATION UNCERTAINTY OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES: DIFFICULTY IN MAKING MAXIMUM USE OF SCHOOL SPORTS VENUES; SHORTAGE OF COACHES AND SOCIAL DIS INCENTIVES TO PARTICIPATION IN SERIOUS SPORTS.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT THE LAST PROBLEM WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE AND TO OVERCOME. +THESE SOCIAL ATTITUDES ARE COMPLEX IN ORIGIN AND ARE NOT EASILY UPROOTED. PRESSURE OF PEOPLE, INSECURITY, SOCIAL MOBILITY, LACK OF RESOURCES, AND AN EMPHASIS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ARE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, + HE SAID.

BUT THE OTHER PROBLEMS WERE CAPABLE OF MORE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONƏ, HE SAID, ADDING THAT POSITIVE STEPS TO COMBAT THEM BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES -

WERE RECOMMENDED.

PILOT SCHEMES WERE LAUNCHED, AND, IN 1985-86 ALONE, MORE THAN 10 DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING SCHEMES HAD BEEN RUN IN WHICH 15 000 YOUNG PEOPLE, MOST OF THEM AGED EIGHT TO 18, HAD BENEFITTED.

/SIR DAVID