Jockey Club nurtures young local talent to shine on world stage with Hong Kong, China member joining global pop group Now United

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has been committed to youth development over the years - to support young local talent to perform on a global stage, the Club has partnered with XIX Entertainment to bring Now United to Hong Kong for a talent search back in May. After months of auditions and Hollywood-level training, locally born talent Ariel Tsang was debuted last Thursday as the first Hong Kong, China member of global pop Now United.

HKJC’s Rising Stars Ambassador Aaron Kwok (front row, 3rd right) performed with Now United’s new Hong Kong, China member Ariel Tsang (front row, 1st left) and other group members last Thursday.

Tsang’s proficiency in Cantonese, English and Putonghua enables her to collaborate with group members and communicate with audiences from around the world, showcasing her abilities and creativity. She provides a bridge that connects Hong Kong’s new generation of talent to the world stage.

HKJC’s Rising Stars Ambassador Aaron Kwok (centre) with Now United’s new Hong Kong, China member Ariel Tsang (5th right) and other group members.

Dennis Hau, Executive Director, Customer Strategy, Insights and Innovation of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, highlighted the Club’s aspiration to become a global sports entertainment brand, beginning with its partnership with XIX. “This collaboration will deliver attractive world-class racing and entertainment experiences for local residents and tourists, encouraging them to experience the magic when horse sports meet top-class entertainment,” he said. “The Club has long been committed to youth and talent development, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity provides young local talent with world-class training. We look forward to Now United’s new Hong Kong, China member helping to promote tourism in Hong Kong and take local horse racing events to the world.”

Posing for a group photo with Now United members on stage are Simon Fuller, Founder of XIX Entertainment (8th left); Angelina Cheung, Commissioner for Tourism (7th right); Joanne Chu, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism (7th left); Dennis Hau, the Club’s Executive Director of Customer Strategy, Insights and Innovation (6th left); Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs (6th right); and Aaron Kwok, HKJC’s Rising Stars Ambassador (centre).

Asian superstar Aaron Kwok attended the media unveiling in his capacity as “HKJC’s Rising Stars Ambassador” to nurture promising local talent and encourage young people to follow their dreams. He is a well-known proponent of encouraging performers and artists to shine on the stage, in keeping with the Club’s commitment to youth and talent development.

Dennis Hau, the Club’s Executive Director of Customer Strategy, Insights and Innovation (6th left), and Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs (6th right), present the Certificate of Appointment to Aaron Kwok as the HKJC’s Rising Stars Ambassador (centre).

Being a horse owner with a love of horses, Kwok praised the Club for its contributions to the betterment of society over the years. He noted it has made Hong Kong synonymous with world-class racing while also supporting countless charitable and community projects locally and internationally. He praised the Club’s commitment to youth and talent development, and expressed the hope that this once-in-a-lifetime Now United initiative would inspire Hong Kong youths to show their passion and talent to the world.

Now United’s new Hong Kong, China member Ariel Tsang.

Internationally renowned entertainment producer, sports promoter and XIX founder Simon Fuller praised the Club’s innovative vision of combining world-class sports and entertainment, noting Now United complements the dynamic energy of Hong Kong perfectly. He hoped the group’s new Hong Kong member would showcase their optimism and resilience to shine on the world stage.

Global pop group Now United performed on stage.

Now United’s new Hong Kong, China member Ariel Tsang performed with other group members last Thursday.

To learn more about Now United’s activities in Hong Kong and the Club’s entertainment initiatives, please visit and follow @hkjcentertainment on Instagram.

The Jockey Club SCENES Building was officially opened today (28 June). The building, alongside the newly built Lo Koon Wing Building and refurbished Bradbury Building, is part of the enhancement works at Tai Tam Scout Centre campsite to support The Scout Association of Hong Kong’s nature and environmental programmes. The project is funded by a donation of nearly HK$100 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

The Jockey Club SCENES Building at the Tai Tam Scout Centre.

The new building incorporates green elements such as solar panels, and adopts low-carbon, sustainable architectural design principles, including nature-responsive features that optimise natural daylight, energy efficiency, and thermal comfort. The project has also achieved a provisional BEAM Plus Gold rating, showcasing sustainable building principles in practice. As the third Scout Centre of Excellence for Nature, Environment and Sustainability (SCENES) in Asia and the first of its kind in Hong Kong, the Tai Tam Scout Centre will benefit from the facilities upgrade. The improvements enhance the campsite’s sustainability and help it leverage Hong Kong's unique role as a regional hub for environmental education to nurture environmental stewardship while empowering young people to become responsible future leaders. The centre is expected to welcome more school groups, NGOs and youth organisations, with capacity to serve up to 60,000 visitors annually.

The Jockey Club SCENES Building at the Tai Tam Scout Centre.

Officiating at the opening ceremony were Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government; Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Health & Older Adults Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Dr Wilson Lai, Chief Commissioner of Scout Association of Hong Kong; David Yip, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Scout Association of Hong Kong and other guests.

Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Health & Older Adults Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said this project demonstrates the long-standing partnership between the Club and The Scout Association of Hong Kong. Over the years, the Club has actively supported social welfare organisations in reducing carbon emissions, protecting biodiversity, and strengthening community resilience to climate change through multi-sector collaboration and innovative thinking. This project reflects the Club’s commitment to promoting sustainability as one of its key impact programmes.

Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Health & Older Adults Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

The Jockey Club SCENES Building, redeveloped from a former administration office, addresses the limitations of ageing facilities while enhancing the capacity and functionality of the Tai Tam Scout Centre. The sustainability features will also help reduce the campsite’s impact on the environment, while strengthening its ability to meet the international standards of SCENES, accredited by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM).

The Trust’s donation also supports new or upgraded facilities at the Lo Koon Wing Building and the Bradbury Building. These include multi-purpose learning spaces, lecture rooms, workshops, laboratories, eco-friendly accommodation and barrier-free access, creating a more inclusive and enriched learning environment. Beyond serving local communities, the enhancements also foster knowledge exchange and collaboration with parties outside Hong Kong.

Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government (4th left); Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Health & Older Adults Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (4th right); Dr Wilson Lai, Chief Commissioner of Scout Association of Hong Kong (3rd left); and David Yip, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Scout Association of Hong Kong (3rd right) and other guests officiate at the opening ceremony of the Jockey Club SCENES Building.

The Club’s support for the Jockey Club SCENES Building, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Guests at the Jockey Club SCENES Building.