Giant panda lovers have had much to cheer about lately. Not only did Hong Kong see the birth of its first-ever locally-born giant pandas in August, but another pair of giant pandas arrived from Chengdu today (26 September). These national treasures are a gift from the Central Government.
Another pair of giant pandas arrive in Hong Kong from Chengdu. These national treasures are a gift from the Central Government.
In support, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has approved a donation of over HK$121 million to upgrade animal habitats within the “Giant Panda Adventure” and “Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures”. These will provide a high quality, safe, age-appropriate and more natural living habitat for giant pandas living in the Park, including snow features and landscape restoration. The donation will also support the expansion of the “Giant Panda Adventure” as well as educational programmes for students from underprivileged backgrounds, enabling them to visit the giant pandas at Ocean Park.
Another pair of giant pandas arrive in Hong Kong from Chengdu. These national treasures are a gift from the Central Government.
HKSAR Government Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung, Club Chairman Michael Lee, Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation Paulo Pong, and other guests welcomed the arrival of the giant pandas at the apron of Hong Kong International Airport.
HKSAR Government Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki (5th right), Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung (5th left), Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Mickey Lai (4th right), Club Chairman Michael Lee (3rd right), Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation Paulo Pong (4th left), and other guests welcome a pair of giant pandas at the apron of Hong Kong International Airport.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is committed to promoting sustainable development. The Club supported Ocean Park’s construction and initial operations following its opening in 1977. In 1998, the Club’s Charities Trust funded the construction of the “Hong Kong Jockey Club Giant Panda Habitat”. After renovation and expansion in 2012, it was renamed the “Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures”. The Club has also supported community projects organised by Ocean Park, including the “Jockey Club Ocean Park Education Programme” and the “Jockey Club Giant Panda Junior Volunteer Programme”, aimed at fostering awareness among students and the community about rare animal species, including national treasures like giant pandas. With this latest donation, the Club and its Charities Trust has approved a total of over HK$900 million in donations towards Ocean Park’s development and operations.
The Club’s support for Ocean Park, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) and the Yao Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in the promotion of basketball and the development of youth sports. The partnership aims to support the national strategy of building the country into a sports powerhouse, contributing to the high-quality development of the sports industry.
Guests at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Yao Foundation.
The signing ceremony took place on 7 December at the Club’s Sha Tin Clubhouse between Yao Ming, Chairman of the Yao Foundation, and Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Club. Under the MoU, both parties will explore joint initiatives and exchange activities to strengthen basketball promotion and youth sports development.
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Jockey Club, said the Club believes in the power of sport to change lives and has long supported sports development at every level, “Basketball is one of Hong Kong’s most popular team sports and a key focus of the Club’s sports development strategy. The Club shares the same vision with the Yao Foundation and we look forward to collaborating with it to further develop basketball in the community in support of the physical and mental well-being of young people and to strengthen social cohesion.”
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (right), Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Yao Ming (left), Chairman of the Yao Foundation sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the promotion of basketball and youth sports development.
Yao Ming, Chairman of the Yao Foundation, said the Yao Foundation is guided by the philosophy of “educating through sports” and is committed to supporting education and promoting the healthy development of young people. With the sports development of young people being a focus for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the visions of both organisations are highly aligned. He hoped that both organisations would join hands to explore cooperative projects to strengthen the promotion of basketball and youth sports development in order to empower young people to enjoy the fun of sports for all-round growth.
As a world-class sports and entertainment organisation with a strong commitment to the nation and to Hong Kong, the Club actively supports national and local sports development at both community and elite levels. These efforts reflect the Club’s purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society. The Club is expanding its support for sports development further, pledging HK$3 billion over the next three years.
Before the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (left), Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Yao Ming (right), Chairman of the Yao Foundation engaged in a sharing and exchange session. Both expressed their shared commitment to further developing basketball in the community.
In support of basketball development, the Club’s Charities Trust has committed over HK$70 million to the Jockey Club Believe & Bounce Basketball Programme with the aim of making basketball more accessible for students and underprivileged groups. With 3 on 3 basketball now a medal event at the Olympic and Asian Games, the Club has also supported the Hong Kong Police Force to organise the Junior Police Call Anti-Narcotics and Fight Crime 3x3 Basketball Training Programme, supporting this game’s development among young people.
Other past related initiatives include the “Jockey Club Sports Empowering Programme” organised by the Department of Health and Physical Education of the Education University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with local sports associations including Hoops for Hope Basketball Asia, as well as the Club-supported “HKFYG Jockey Club Youth Sports Development Project”, which encourages young people to participate in sports, including basketball. The Club has also funded renovations at Southorn Stadium, including upgrading basketball facilities to enable it to host more high-level, large-scale and international competitions and events.
