Policy Address

202.     The Kai Tak Multi-purpose Sports Complex will be the largest-ever sports facility in Hong Kong.  The Government will commence advance works this year, with construction works expected to start in 2017.

203.     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department currently provides training venues for more than 40 national sports associations (NSAs) and their respective Hong Kong teams.  However, the development needs of various sports have yet to be fully met.  The Sports Commission has therefore decided to set up a working group to gauge the demand for sports facilities.  Meanwhile, we will step up efforts in promoting the Restored Landfill Revitalisation Funding Scheme launched last year.  Non-profit-making organisations or NSAs can apply for funding under the scheme for development of recreational facilities or other appropriate innovative uses on the restored sites.

204.     To encourage more young athletes with potential to turn full-time, the Government will make use of the Elite Athletes Development Fund to provide greater support for the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) and the partner schools in the Elite Athlete-friendly School Network.

205.     To help athletes adapt to a life no longer occupied with training and sports events and embark on new ventures, the Government will encourage retired athletes to serve as School Sports Programme Co-ordinators and enhance the sporting culture in schools.  The HKSI will introduce an elite athletes performance recognition scheme this year that will give a one-off bonus to full-time athletes who formally retire in or after 2015.

206.     The Government attaches great importance to supporting athletes with disabilities.  In this financial year alone, we have provided subsidies of over $28 million to support disabled athletes’ training, preparation and participation in competitions, and to facilitate the hosting of international sports events in Hong Kong.  The Government will commission a consultancy study on how to support disabled athletes and promote sports participation by people with disabilities in a more comprehensive manner.

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