ENG-2018 — Page 373

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

participate in sports. In October, Hong Kong achieved its best results at the Asian Para Games with 48 medals, comprising 11 golds, 16 silvers and 21 bronzes, and ranked 10th out of 43 participating countries and territories.

With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games qualifiers under way, the association is offering athletes. the best possible support in their quest to gain entry to the Games. At the same time, it will continue to identify and nurture young para athletes to shine in international sporting events.

Hong Kong Sports Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability

The Hong Kong Sports Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability develops, promotes and organises sporting activities to help people with intellectual disability develop their potential and cultivate positive attitudes through sport, and to facilitate their integration into the community. These activities include training sessions and competitions. The association's training programme caters for all levels of ability.

Intellectually disabled athletes won 83 medals during the year, comprising 34 golds, 24 silvers and 25 bronzes. They made the most of the many international competitions they took part in to sharpen their skills and bring glory to Hong Kong. Highlights included two golds, two silvers and three bronzes at the Copenhagen 2018 World Para Swimming World Series in Denmark; one silver at the Sheffield 2018 World Para Swimming World Series in the United Kingdom; one bronze at the 2018 Japan Para Athletics Championships in Gunma; one gold, two silvers and four bronzes at the PTT Indonesia Open 2018 in Jakarta; and two golds, three silvers and one bronze at the 2018 PTT Thailand Open in Chiang Mai.

Hong Kong athletes also achieved excellent results at these Special Olympics events: figure skating in the Vienna Special 2018 in Austria; the 9th Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa Regional Games in Abu Dhabi; football in the 7th Special Olympics Games of the People's Republic of China in Fuzhou; 2018 Soea Unified Schools Football League in Shanghai; 2018 Soea Regional Bocce Competition in Hong Kong; 2018 SOM Table Tennis Competition in Macao; and 2018 Special Olympics East Asia Regional Athletics Competition in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Hong Kong Jockey Club

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of society. Through its integrated business model of racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution, the club generates economic and social value for the community.

In 2017-18, the club returned 79.4 per cent of its wagering and lottery revenue to Hong Kong, paying $22.6 billion in tax and approving $4.2 billion in donations to 222 charity and community projects. It is the territory's largest single taxpayer, contributing 6.9 per cent of all taxes collected by the Inland Revenue Department in 2017-18. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is one of the world's top 10 charity donors.

Fundamental to the club's success is its world-class racing, with Hong Kong home to 12 international Group One races, including the Hong Kong International Races, widely regarded as the Turf World Championships. Eleven Hong Kong races ranked in the World's Top 100 Group

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