ENG-1997 — Page 451

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

The board has again been active in securing funds from the commercial sector in support of development programmes organised by the NSAs. Since the inception of the Sports Sponsorship Advisory Service in 1991, it has generated more than $74 million in sponsorship support.

The Hong Kong Sports Institute, which amalgamated with the Sports Development Board in April 1994, has provided support to the 12 Focus Sports in the form of full- time coaches, training facilities and programmes, strength and conditioning, sports science and medicine, other technical services and junior squad development. Over 240 athletes were granted Hong Kong Sports Institute scholarships in 1996–97.

Sporting Achievements

Hong Kong athletes participated in several high-profile international sporting events in 1997 and enjoyed significant success.

A contingent of 51 athletes took part in the Second East Asian Games held in Pusan, South Korea, in May. Hong Kong athletes won a total of one gold, five silver and four bronze medals, with the gold medal coming in one of the wushu events. The silver medals were in athletics, rowing and wushu, and the bronze medals in judo, rowing, tenpin bowling and wushu. At the Eighth National Games of the People's Republic of China, Wong Kam-po won Hong Kong's first National Games gold medal, in the Men's 180 km Individual Road Race event.

Hong Kong players became champions of the World Amateur Junior and World Amateur Snooker Championships. At the 1997 World Windsurfing Championships, Lee Lai-shan won the gold medal in the women's mistral class event. Hong Kong athletes also performed well at the Fourth World Wushu Championships. They brought back three gold, four silver and two bronze medals. At the Third International Sports Organisation for Disabled World Lawn Bowls Championships, the World Cycling Championships and the World Junior Squash Championships, Hong Kong athletes won a total of one gold and four bronze medals. At the 44th World Table Tennis Championships, Chai Po-wa won a bronze medal in the women's doubles event. At the 1997 Special Olympic World Winter Games, Hong Kong athletes won six gold, nine silver and eight bronze medals in the figure skating and speed skating events.

Hong Kong athletes in badminton, basketball, bodybuilding, bowling, cycling, equestrian, fencing, judo, rowing, squash, table tennis, triathlon and windsurfing won a total of nine gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals at their respective Asian Championships in 1997. The 1996 gold-medal winning 4 × 100 paralympic relay team bettered its own world record at the Cerebral Palsy - International Sports & Recreation Association World Games in July.

Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

The Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong was founded in 1949-50 and recognised as a National Olympic Committee in 1951. (The ASF & OC was re-named the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China with effect from July 1, 1997) It has been responsible for organising Hong Kong's participation in all major events such as the Olympics, Asian, East Asian and East Pacific Games. It is a member of the Olympic Council of Asia and the

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