Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, at the Hong Kong, China Night in Paris, France today (July 30, Paris time):
Ladies and gentlemen,
Bonsoir! It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to this special evening, as we gather to celebrate Hong Kong's vibrant sports community during the Olympic Games. Your presence today truly reflects the spirit of unity and the shared passion for sports, which bring us all together.
Tonight, we come together to show our unwavering support for our athletes who have displayed remarkable dedication and skills in various competitions. We are proud to celebrate the winning of three medals so far at the Paris Olympics and we are delighted to witness the success of our athletes here. Our government is committed to supporting elite sports. In this financial year, the Government allocated more than €100 million euros (HK$863 million) for nurturing sports talents to the Hong Kong Sports Institute, which is our elite sports training agent.
In addition, we are stepping up our efforts to promote the growth of sports through enhancing sports’ professionalism, maintaining Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, developing sports as an industry, and promoting sports in the community, thus creating a supportive environment that fosters a stronger sporting culture in the city.
I would also like to share with you another exciting development in Hong Kong. Our new Kai Tai Sports Park, Hong Kong's most important investment in sports infrastructure in recent decades, will be completed later this year. As shown in the video just now, this world-class facility is ideal for hosting large-scale sports events and competitions. In particular, the Main Stadium will be able to hold 50 000 spectators and has a retractable roof and flexible pitch surface.
The Sports Park will also provide a 10 000-seat Indoor Sports Centre and a 5 000-seat Public Sports Ground. I would like to extend my invitation to all of you to visit Hong Kong and experience our new sporting landscape. We are confident that the Kai Tak Sport Park will not only host exceptional sports events, but also to serve as a hub for nurturing a greater passion for sports across the globe.
Last but not least, we would like to extend our best wishes to all the athletes participating in the Olympics. Your hard work and dedication have inspired us all. Tonight, let's celebrate the spirit of sports and friendship together, and may I wish you all an amazing Olympic journey in Paris.
Thank you very much.
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