ENG-1997 — Page 454

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RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

Table Ping-Pong Development Scheme to promote table tennis to children in the council area.

During the year, various sports development programmes such as athletics, badminton, basketball, golf, table tennis, wushu, football, ballet and squash were organised for 21 670 youths.

Venues

There are 15 sports grounds, 16 swimming pool complexes, 33 indoor recreation centres, 120 tennis courts, 121 squash courts and two golf driving ranges in the council area.

The council has three water sports centres (Chong Hing, Tai Mei Tuk and Wong Shek) and three holiday camps (Lady MacLehose Holiday Village, Sai Kung and Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centres). During the year, 56 537 and 343 934 people visited the water sports centres and the holiday camps respectively.

Events across Hong Kong

The Corporate Games, organised for the working population, attracted 10 467 participants from 242 industrial and commercial organisations in the 18 sports competitions. The Masters Games, held specifically for the 35 and above age group, attracted more than 2 000 participants in its 12 competitions. Sixteen athletes selected from the 1996-97 Masters Games represented the municipal councils at the 6th Australian Masters Games and came back with 26 gold, eight silver and 13 bronze medals.

District Festivals Subsidy Scheme

The District Festivals Subsidy Scheme continues to help district bodies organise public recreation, sports and cultural activities most suited to their own districts. The types of programmes included arts and sports festivals, dragon boat races, mid- autumn festival celebrations and lunar new year carnivals. During the year, some $15 million was allocated to the nine districts under the jurisdiction of the council in support of 65 district festival celebrations for the enjoyment of over 126 600 people.

Reunification of Hong Kong with China Celebrations

To celebrate the reunification of Hong Kong with China in 1997, the council either organised on its own, jointly organised with other bodies or sponsored a great variety of cultural, recreational and sports activities. A total of 151 celebration activities were conducted, including carnival-type events, open day for leisure facilities, theme exhibitions and cultural presentations by renowned local and Mainland performing groups.

The council allocated each of the nine Provisional Regional Council District Committees a ceiling fund of $700,000 to subsidise the organisation of different kinds of festive activities.

Beaches and Swimming Pools

Swimming is Hong Kong's most popular summer pastime. In 1997, some 12.3 million people visited the beaches and another 6.5 million swam at the 32 public swimming pools managed by the two municipal councils.