Recreation, Sport and the Arts | 397
Sports Subvention Scheme
The LCSD is responsible for providing subvention to the National Sports. Associations and other sporting organisations for the promotion and development of sports. The subvention covers office and personnel expenses and spending on programmes by the NSAs.
During the year, 58 NSAs and 26 sporting organisations were provided with funds amounting to about $185 million by the LCSD. Over 10 100 programmes for different sports were organised by the NSAs and other organisations, attracting 701 783 participants. Among the most popular programmes were the Youth Football Scheme, Hong Kong Youth (Boys and Girls) Basketball Training Scheme and Young Athletes Table Tennis Training Scheme.
In 2008, the NSAs were given subsidies under the scheme to stage international events in Hong Kong. These included the Tennis Champions Challenge, 2008 Hong Kong ITU Triathlon Asian Cup, Hong Kong International Judo Tournament, FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup - Hong Kong, Hong Kong Open Windsurfing Championships, Hong Kong International Bowls Classic 2008, 17th Super Kung Sheung Cup International Basketball Invitation Championships, 13th Asian Cities Gold Cup Taekwondo Championships, and 13th Tour of the South China Sea (Cycling).
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong
Hong Kong was one of the 122 cities to host the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay and the first stop on Chinese soil, welcoming back the Olympic Flame after its global journey across five continents. The HKSAR Government worked hand in hand with the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China and the relevant organisations to stage this event.
Beijing 2008 Olympic Live Sites in Hong Kong
Hong Kong was chosen to co-host the Olympic Equestrian Events and thus become an Olympic city. Three official Olympic Live Sites were set up to allow the public to share the fun. The Live Sites set up in Victoria Park and Sha Tin Park were open to the public during the main Games and the one in Sha Tin Park was also open during the Paralympic Games. Over 100 000 people participated in a variety of activities offered at the Live Sites.
Free Admission Scheme of LCSD Leisure Facilities
To support the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, to encourage the public to do exercise more regularly and to promote community sports with a view to improving the quality of life, the department launched a Free Admission Scheme under which individual members of the public could use most of the LCSD's leisure facilities free of charge from July 1 to September 30, including sports centres, squash courts, tennis courts, public swimming pools, water sports centres and holiday camps. Over
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