ENG-2006 — Page 468

396 Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Hong Kong Sports Institute Limited

The Hong Kong Sports Institute Limited was established on October 1, 2004 to provide an environment in which sports talent can be identified, nurtured and developed. Other than sports facilities, the support given to athletes includes elite coaching and training, sports science, sports medicine, education, applied research and sports information. Thirteen sports are covered by the elite training programme athletics, badminton, cycling, fencing, rowing, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling, triathlon, windsurfing and wushu. The institute also supports outstanding athletes of other sports under the Individual Athletes Support Scheme and the Disabled Sports Elite Training Programme. During the year, the institute focused on the preparation of athletes for two major games (9th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled and 15th Asian Games) and planning for its reprovisioning and redevelopment due to the staging of the 2008 Olympic Equestrian. Events at the institute.

Sporting Achievements

Hong Kong athletes achieved significant success in 2006, winning a total of 180 gold, 185 silver and 185 bronze medals at premier national, Asian and international sporting events.

In 2006, the Hong Kong, China delegation participated in the 15th Doha Asian Games. The Hong Kong team won a record six gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals.

In November 2006, Hong Kong's physically disabled athletes took part in the 2006 Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and brought home 25 gold, 30 silver and 24 bronze medals.

Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

The Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) of Hong Kong was founded in 1949-50 and reorganised as a National Olympic Committee (NOC) in 1951. It changed its name to 'Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China' on March 8, 1999. The Federation is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia and the Association of National Olympic Committees and has been responsible for organising Hong Kong's participation in all major multi-sports games such as the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Asian Indoor Games and East Asian Games. With a membership of 74 national sports associations (NSAs) and sports organisations, it represents the collective voice of the Hong Kong sports community.

Members of the Federation are NSAs, which are in turn affiliated to their International Federations (IFs) and Asian federations (AFS). They are empowered to coordinate and conduct a wide range of activities related to their sports, from organising sports and recreational programmes for beginners to training elite athletes. They also organise and sanction participation in local and overseas competitions and tournaments and train coaches and referees. NSAs implement and enforce local and international rules and regulations, and they represent Hong Kong in meetings of the IFS and the AFs.