ENG-1998 — Page 447

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

both local and overseas delegates. Through the Hong Kong Coaching Committee, more than 4 000 participants have attended coach training programmes in the past four years. In co-operation with the United States Olympic Academy and the University of Oregon, courses on various aspects of sports management and sports. science were offered free of charge to the NSAs. Special conferences and seminars on sports medicine and sports science were also organised in conjunction with the Hong Kong Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Science and the Hong Kong Post- Secondary Colleges Athletic Association. These educational activities attracted participants from Hong Kong, mainland China and other parts of the world, and have been praised by the IOC for their comprehensiveness and quality.

Provisional Urban Council Sports and Recreation Programmes

and Facilities

To arouse public awareness of the value of sport and recreation, the council organised 9886 grassroots training and recreation programmes for 653 277 participants of all ages and abilities at a total cost of $42.84 million in 1998. Major programmes include the Corporate Games, Masters Games, Gold Card Fitness Scheme, Come and Try Scheme, Recreation and Sports Fortnight for Older Persons, and Recreation and Sports Highlights for People with Disabilities.

The council also operates a Sports Subsidy Scheme to provide financial assistance to sports associations for the presentation of sports events, training programmes and competitions relating to the promotion and development of the Sport-for-All concept. In 1998, the council spent $24.18 million on 3 693 sports programmes which attracted 320 000 participants and 600 000 spectators. Some of the most popular programmes were the Provisional Urban Council School Sports Programmes, Windsurfing Promotion Scheme, Youth Basketball Training Scheme, Table Tennis Development Programme, Youth Football Scheme and the XLI Festival of Sports.

To enhance community sports development, the Provisional Urban Council Inter- District Sports Competition involving seven sports competitions was organised annually.

During the year, international sports events such as the 14th Hong Kong International Golden Mile, Swimming World Cup Hong Kong '98, Asia Pacific International Water Polo Invitation Tournament, International Kung Fu Masters Performance Championship, Squash Open '98 and the 3rd Hong Kong Asian Cities Gold Cup Taekwondo Invitation Championships were held to reinforce Hong Kong's image as one of the world's event capitals.

Venues

The Provisional Urban Council provides and manages sports and recreational facilities. There are 42 indoor games halls/leisure centres, 16 swimming pool complexes, 136 tennis courts, 185 squash courts and nine sports grounds under the management and operation of the council.

During the year, four major new recreation and sports venues were completed. They were the Lok Kwan Street Park in Mong Kok District, the St Stephen's Beach Water Sports Centre, the Ap Lei Chau Leisure Centre and Aberdeen Tennis and Squash Centre in the Southern District. More new facilities will continue to be put into service. Good progress was made in the development of the Sai Wan Ho Leisure

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