The 9th Hong Kong Games (HKG) Opening Ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Coliseum this afternoon (April 21). The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, officiated at the ceremony and, together with athletes from the 18 districts and members of the public, witnessed the official opening of the 9th HKG.
Addressing the ceremony, the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, said the Sports Commission holds the HKG every two years, offering an opportunity for athletes to showcase their talent and compete. Mr Lau called on members of the public to come to watch the matches and cheer for the athletes at the competitions, as well as joining the community participation programmes to echo the HKG's slogan "Our City, Our Games".
After Mr Chan made an announcement of the official opening of the 9th HKG, an athlete representative from Yuen Long District, the overall champion of the 7th HKG, took an oath on behalf of all participating athletes of the 9th HKG.
Mainland Olympic gold medallists Wang Yilyu (badminton) and Ding Ning (table tennis) and Hong Kong medallists Samuel Hui and Minnie Soo held the torch to enter the venue and lit the cauldron of the Games.
The ceremony's programme featured a variety of performances, including performances by winning teams of the 18 districts' cheering team competition in the pre-show to demonstrate the uniqueness and vitality of their districts. There were also lion dances; demonstrations of breaking, skateboarding, wushu and Latin dance; variety shows by elite athletes, and performances by pop singers. Highlights of the ceremony will be broadcast on TVB Jade between 10.30pm and 11.30pm tonight.
Also officiating at today's ceremony were Members of the Legislative Council Mr Ma Fung-kwok and Mr Vincent Cheng; the President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), Mr Timothy Fok; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu; the Commissioner for Sports, Mr Sam Wong; the Chairman of the 9th HKG Organising Committee, Professor Patrick Yung; and Executive Advisers of the Organising Committee Mr William Tong and Mr David Yip.
The inter-district sports competitions of the 9th HKG are being held from today to June 9. The competitions cover eight sports, namely athletics, badminton, 3-on-3 basketball, futsal, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. The four events of the sports competitions for people with disabilities include wheelchair 3-on-3 basketball, boccia, and swimming and table tennis for people with intellectual disabilities. And the four Urban Sports Demonstration Competitions include women's futsal, breaking, skateboarding and sport climbing.
In order to boost the lively atmosphere of the Games, not only finals of all sports competitions will be webcast live, but also seven of the final competitions will be broadcast live on Radio Television Hong Kong TV 32, namely women's futsal & futsal (May 25), table tennis & table tennis for persons with intellectual disabilities (May 26), badminton (June 1 and 2), 3-on-3 basketball and wheelchair 3-on-3 basketball (June 2), allowing more people to enjoy these exciting events.
Members of the public can also take part in community participation programmes, such as the Dynamic Moments Photo Contest and voting and guessing activities. Details of these programmes and the competition schedule are available on the HKG designated website www.hongkonggames.hk.
The 9th HKG is organised by the Sports Commission and co-ordinated by its Community Sports Committee, with the Home Affairs Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the SF&OC, and the relevant National Sports Associations of the sports competitions as co-organisers. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the major sponsor of the event.
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