ENG-1993 — Page 420

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

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the year, a total of 7 290 books and 9 800 periodicals were registered with the office. A bibliography of registered books is gazetted at quarterly intervals.

The office is the local agent for the International Standard Book Numbering System (ISBN), and helps to promote its use among publishers and book-selling trades. In all, 1 355 publishers' identifiers conforming to ISBN were issued.

Sports and Recreation

Sports and recreational activities and facilities are many and varied in Hong Kong. The Urban and Regional Councils develop and manage facilities which include sports grounds, playgrounds, indoor games halls, holiday camps, swimming pools and beaches. The two municipal councils also organise training courses and sporting competitions for people of all ages and abilities, and encourage passive recreation by providing parks and landscaping services within their respective areas.

The Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation disburses grants for the construction and improvement of recreational and sporting facilities as well as for the purchase of equipment.

Sports Development Board

The Hong Kong Sports Development Board is a statutory body responsible for promoting -the development of sports and physical recreation in Hong Kong. In the 1992-93 financial year, $55 million was allocated to the board. Of this, over $31 million was used for sports development purposes which included funding support to the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong for expenses relating to the 1992 Olympic Games, and to national sports associations for their staff salaries, office expenses and sports development programmes. It was also used for special projects undertaken by the board, including international exchange programmes, community sports programmes, and the organisation in conjunction with the University of Canberra and Hong Kong Sports Institute of degree courses in sports administration and coaching in the territory.

The concept of identifying target sports and providing them with increased resources for development is one of the fundamentals of Hong Kong's sports policy. Seven target sports have been identified: badminton, football, rowing, squash, swimming, table tennis and windsurfing. Others will be added to the list on a performance-related basis.

Progress has been made in the coach education field since the inception in 1991 of the Hong Kong Coaching Committee. The committee was jointly formed by the Sports Development Board, the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sports Institute. The major component of the programme the Hong Kong Coach Accreditation Programme. The support given to this initiative by national sports associations bodes well for future development. In 1992-93, about $3 million was allocated to these programmes.

The Sports Aid Foundation Fund and the Sports Aid for the Disabled Fund, administered by the board, increased substantially its level of support to leading athletes. A total of 108 athletes who satisfied the criteria were grant-aided in 1992-93. The total allocation exceeded $2 million.

The board has been active in securing additional funds from the commercial sector in support of development programmes organised by national sports associations. The Sports

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