Recreation, Sport and the Arts 393
2008. Cycling star Wong Kam Po was awarded the most coveted Bank of China (Hong Kong) Best of Best Hong Kong Sports Star Award.
Hong Kong sports entered a new era in 2008. With the successful staging of the 2008 Olympiad Equestrian Events, Hong Kong demonstrated to the world its strength in organising international sports event. Apart from this, the people in Hong Kong cultivated the Olympic values of 'Solidarity, Friendship and Fair Play' through their participation in the Equestrian event. This will form the foundation for hosting the 5th East Asian Games in Hong Kong in 2009.
Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled
The Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled (HKPC&SAPD) is the only Hong Kong sports organisation recognised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as a member of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) eligible to select the Hong Kong team for the Paralympic Games, Asian Paralympic Games, All China Games, and the World & Regional Championships. The HKPC&SAPD plays an active role in organising regional functions and developing a close working relationship with their counterparts in neighbouring countries and territories to raise the standard of performance of disabled athletes in Hong Kong and Asia.
This year has been a busy, rewarding and memorable one for the association which was involved in the challenging task of organising the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, held on Chinese soil for the first time, and the 2008 Paralympic Equestrian Events which took place simultaneously in Hong Kong.
The 22 disabled athletes did Hong Kong proud by clinching five Gold, three Silver and three Bronze medals, to boost Hong Kong to 26th position among the 147 nations and territories which competed in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
The association worked closely with a number of government departments, sporting bodies and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to publicise the Paralympics and Equestrian Events before and during the Games.
To attract fresh talent, the association embarked on an 'Out Reach' programme for students in special schools. The scheme generated a lot of interest among the students and stood the association's talent scouting efforts in good stead.
On the whole, HKPC&SAPD athletes did notably well in the 2008 international sporting arena by winning a total of 61 medals: 29 gold, 17 silver and 15 bronze.
Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped
The Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped develops, promotes and organises sporting activities for people with intellectual disability to help them develop fully their potential in sports, to help them cultivate positive attitudes in sportsmanship and to facilitate their integration into the community. The association provides sports training and competitions for about 40 000 intellectually
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