Thanks to Partners

partners' logos

Oregon Scientific Sports Training Scholarship Scheme 2007

We are running this training scheme for underprivileged youth aged 15-25 with generous funding provided by Oregon Scientific. Mountain biking, indoor airsoft target shooting and skin diving are all new sports added for this third successive year. Professional coaching is given in golf, fencing, canoeing, windsurfing, mountain bike riding, airsoft practical shooting and skin diving with support from the Hong Kong Underwater Association Ltd, the Hong Kong Fencing Association, the Hong Kong Canoe Union, the Hong Kong Shooting Development Union, the Windsurfing Association of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Sport Climbing Union. Student participants also attend a training camp which builds team spirit and sportsmanship. It helps those with financial constraints to develop sports talent, explore their potential and improve problem-solving skills.

Deadline for applications: 30 April.
For more info, please click here
http://www.u21.org.hk/u21%5F2006/
promotion/oregon_scientific/

or call 2395 5759.


A cappella around the World: The Hong Kong Melody Makers in Concert

The Hong Kong Melody Makers will give a public performance at 8pm on 28 April in the Jockey Club Auditorium at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. A big thank you to Mr and Mrs Lau Chor and Mr and Mrs Leung Shing-hin, who are the concert's generous sponsors. Five guest performers, including Canto-pop singer, Hins Cheung, singer-songerwriter, Peco Chiu, soprano, Yuki Ip, and baritones, Albert Lim and Eric Monson are also invited. The choir will perform a cappella songs from around the world, promoting the genre and providing the audience with a most enjoyable evening. Tickets are now available at URBTIX outlets. For programme enquires and reservations, please phone 2395 5759 (Ms Maggie Chung, Music Administrator) or click here for more info:
http://www.youthmatters.hk/Unit_HKMM/
leaflet_front.jpg


Joint Opening Ceremony of Modernized Youth S.P.O.Ts

The Federation obtained a grant from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the Lotteries Fund to modernize its Youth S.P.O.Ts and on 24 March a joint opening ceremony of 5 refurbished centres took place at the HKFYG Jockey Club Farm Road Youth S.P.O.T. Guests of Honour were The Hon Leung Chun-ying, GBS, JP, Non-Official Member of ExCo, Mr William Yiu, Executive Director, Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Mr Cheung Hing-wah, Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department and Ir. Wong Kwok-keung, JP, Chairman, Kowloon City District Council. There was a live broadcast of the ceremony at the other 4 modernized Youth S.P.O.Ts, namely HKFYG's Jockey Club Ping Shek, Verbena, Wang Tau Hom and Cheung Wah Youth S.P.O.Ts. For more information about HKFYG Youth S.P.O.Ts visit:
http://www.u21.hk/partnership/
issue97_mar2007/hkfyg.wmv


Hong Kong Public Policy Innovation Award: 2006/07 Strategies for Sustainable Development in Hong Kong

The Federation has the sponsorship of the Sustainable Development Fund for this award competition which is co-organized with the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute Ltd. It is divided into sections for secondary school students and young adults under 35, in teams of 2-5 members. The competition aims to encourage young people to participate actively in public policy discussion and provides them with opportunities to learn about and understand the importance of incorporating the principles of sustainability in the decision-making process. Each team selects Manpower Policy, Improving Quality of Life or The Aging Population as a theme and undertakes a thorough study of a specific aspect. For more info on the programme, please contact Leadership 21, tel 2169 0255 or visit
http://www.leadership21.org/news.htm


Free tickets for preview of The Pursuit of Happiness

Edko Films Ltd provided 200 free tickets so that young people who have trouble finding jobs or come from disadvantaged homes could enjoy a special preview of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness at AMC Festival Walk earlier this month. Thanks to Edko Films Ltd for giving these youngsters the chance to enjoy an entertaining, meaningful movie about the escape from poverty.


New readers: please send your contact details
*Name:
*E-mail:
*Organisation:
*Contact Number:
Fax:

 

 
 
The Olympic countdown: getting youth involved
Countdown celebrations

The Federation enthusiastically supports the activities in the Olympic countdown and 500 HKFYG youth members were at the carnival in Kowloon Park (see this week's Feature Story). The Olympics are always an excellent platform for encouraging youth participation in sports at all levels. Young people in Hong Kong are motivated by the excitement and build-up. Let's make the best of this opportunity to get them involved. Then they will see that an active life is a healthy life.

Most Hong Kong youngsters have competitive drive and sport is such an excellent outlet. It's good for releasing stress, keeping weight down, learning about social values and civic participation. Taking part in the build-up to the Olympics, as an athlete or a volunteer, a coach or a spectator, will bring Hong Kong youth together in a new way, strengthening their sense of belonging and their pride in the city.

Join our initiatives to get youth involved. A charity tug-of-war, once an Olympic sport, is coming up in May. Contact Bonnie in Partnership 2123 9598 for details.


Feature Story
Run up to the Olympics: 500 days to go

The forthcoming Olympics provide a perfect opportunity for getting young people interested in sport. That's the first step towards getting them more physically active, a special concern with the upward trend in obesity and the overwhelming attractions of computer games when compared with games that involve physical exercise.

This week's 500 day countdown was marked in Hong Kong by the unveiling of a massive clock in Kowloon Park and the event featured a performance put on by 500 HKFYG members with a group of our volunteer leaders looking after them We talked to a few of those who were involved about the importance of youth participation in sport.

 
Hong Kong countdown ceremony

'There is no doubt in my mind about how useful exercise is,' said Sa, 'it brings health and teaches you to treasure it as much as life. But it also helps to develop the right attitude to challenges. My latest sport is golf and there are so few chances for young people to learn how to play here. I had a huge advantage because I won an award* that provided me with coaching. For others who aren't quite so lucky, any chance to participate in events associated with the Olympics is really very valuable.'

Terence echoed her words:

'Playing a sport involves more than just knowing how to be fair and have team spirit. Taking part in sports means you learn to deal with success and failure. You learn how to persevere when you are tired and you find out how it feels to lose as well as win.'

  Countdown performance

There are many benefits in sports participation but if it comes to a choice between playing a game of football or a computer game, the latter often wins. Why is that? Is it because young people have just become 'couch potatoes'?

'I think there are two main reasons,' said Virginia, a university student like our other interviewees. 'First, school kids have too much to do. They are always working to get good exam results and in their time off they use a computer to relax. The other part of the equation is their parents. They don't have much spare time either and family time which could be used for being active together just disappears because everyone is so tired.'

  Beijng countdown walk

It's well known that being fit and healthy actually means an increase in energy which can get you over the hurdle of feeling tired but the process of getting fit presents a big challenge.

'The right sort of response to challenge is what the Olympics are all about,' said Ricky, 'We look at the paralympic athletes who have been such stars at the last two Olympic Games and they are an inspiration to everyone.'

'That's right', said Gabby. 'Everyone knows that to be an Olympic athlete is the highest sports honour. It is a glorious opportunity for China and Hong Kong to be the hosts next year. When young Hong Kong people realise they have a role to play as well, even if they are not out there competing, I think they will also get enthusiastic in a totally new way. We just have to grab this chance to get them involved.'

  Olympic mascots

Terence rounded off the discussion with his views on strategies for motivating youth:

'There is a time honoured but effective method,' he said, 'put money into new sports facilities, coaching programmes and training schemes, or just increase the number of compulsory PE lessons. Then the kids get fit and enjoy themselves. Sport means fun, overcoming challenges and succeeding in life. After all, action and experience are better than a thousand words.'

Would you like to partner us by putting some energy and funds into a sports programme for youth? We have a charity tug-of-war coming up in May. Contact Bonnie or Ada in Partnership, tel 2123 9598 for details about this and other dynamic ideas.

* Sa was an award winner in the Oregon Scientific Sports Training Scholarship Scheme, mentioned in Partner Thanks, this issue.


Upcoming events

Felix Wong Youth Improvement Award 2007

The annual award scheme aims to give formal recognition to local secondary school students who have made a great effort to overcome hardship or misfortune. Award winners are given scholarships to pursue personal development. Nominations from secondary schools for this year's awards are now invited.
Deadline 14 April 2007
For details, please visit
http://www.u21.org.hk/u21%5F2006/promotion/wong/index.html or call us at 2395 0161.

 
2007 Hong Kong Odyssey of the Mind Programme Opening Ceremony
Opening Ceremony Guest of Honour Ms Sandra Lee Shuk-yee, JP, Permanent Secretary for Health and Welfare
Special guest Mr William Y Yiu, Executive Director, Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust
Venue Sports Hall, Amenities Building, The Hong Kong Institute of Education
Time and date 2:30pm 31 March 2007
109 school teams will take part in this year's local competitions from 31 March to 1 April.
Visit http://www.hkom.org.hk to find out more about the programme.

Facts & Figures
Latest Statistics in HKFYG youth poll on the Chief Executive's re-election

Of 313 young people aged 18-34 interviewed by the Federation from 21-24 March, two thirds said they would have voted for Donald Tsang if there had been a real election. 17% would have voted for the opposition candidate, Alan Leong. In terms of popular support, almost half thought Donald Tsang had 'won' while 12.4% said they thought Alan Leong was the victor. About one third said Hong Kong people were the real 'winners' because the election signified a big step towards democracy. 31.5% thought that the most impressive aspect of the election was the open discussion between the 2 candidates. Just over half said they were now more concerned about Hong Kong's constitutional reform than before the election.

* Poll series number 160, summary in Chinese at www.u21.org.hk/partnership/issue97_mar2007/press.htm

 
Hong Kong's Olympians

Hong Kong has competed in 12 Olympics since the 1952 games in Helsinki. Our first medal was a gold won by Lee Lai-shan at the Atlanta games in 1996 for the women's sailboard event. She was followed by Ko Lai-chak and Li-ching who won the silver in the men's table tennis doubles in the 2004 games in Athens. That year we had a delegation of 33 athletes in 10 sports, up on the Sydney Olympics of 2000 where there were 31 of our athletes in 9 sports.

  Lee Lai-shan

At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, Hong Kong athletes won an astonishing 8 golds, 3 silvers and 7 bronzes. Four years later at the Athens Paralympics, we took part in 19 sports with 144 nations and 3,969 participating athletes. China won 141 medals, 63 of which were golds, followed by Australia with 100 and 26 golds and Great Britain with 94 and 35 golds. The 26 Hong Kong entrants came home with an amazing 19 medals including 11 golds, 7 silvers and a bronze. The 2008 Summer Paralympics consist of 20 sports, including the equestrian events to be held in Hong Kong in September. All eyes will be upon them.


The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, one of Hong Kong's largest youth work agencies, has provided opportunities, facilities and services to youth for over 40 years.