The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club), as the sole Partner Sponsor of the Hong Kong Competition Region of this year’s National Games, today (24 November) announced cash incentives to support HKSAR athletes competing in the upcoming 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities.
The flag presentation ceremony for the HKSAR delegation to the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NGD & NSOG) was held at Tiu Keng Leng Sports Centre today. Attending guests included: HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Sun Shang-wu; HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law; China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee President Jenny Fung; President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China Timothy Fok; and Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Lester Huang.
The upcoming NGD & NSOG will cover 46 sports, including the NGD & NSOG The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Wheelchair Fencing Competition and the NGD & NSOG The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Para Table Tennis (T11) Competition, which will be held in Hong Kong. To encourage HKSAR athletes, the Club will, for the first time, provide cash incentives under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (JCAIAS) in all medal categories of the NGD, with individual and team gold medallists receiving HK$187,500 and HK$375,000 respectively (See table below for details).
Lester Huang expressed his wholehearted support for the city’s para athletes, encouraging them to follow the inspiring example of HKSAR athletes at the 15th National Games. “The Hong Kong team has written a new and glorious chapter in our city’s sporting history with a total of 19 medals, including nine golds, two silvers and eight bronzes. The Club has long promoted sport at community and elite levels, enabling people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate. We therefore wish every HKSAR athlete the very best of luck at the upcoming 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.”
The three-year JCAIAS was launched in 2023. Under the scheme, the Club sponsors the Hong Kong Sports Institute to provide cash awards to Hong Kong, China athletes who excel in major sporting events. These include the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Asian Para Games, World University Games, National Games together with their respective Winter Games and the National Games for Persons with Disabilities.
In support of the National Games, the Club has committed over HK$500 million to the Hong Kong and Guangdong Competition Regions. In the Hong Kong Competition Region, it is supporting volunteer service programmes, territory-wide community and school promotional activities, as well as initiatives to help underprivileged groups and young people attend the events as spectators. Some 100 members from the Club’s Volunteer Team are helping out as Group Volunteers in the Hong Kong Competition Region.
In the Guangdong Competition Region, the Club is providing high-quality technical support for the equestrian events in Shenzhen, leveraging its extensive experience in organising horse sports competitions. To help ensure the equestrian events are conducted to a high standard, the Club is also deploying an expert team and loaning specialist equipment. Additionally, the Club will support the Guangdong Competition Region’s official activities, volunteer services and promotion work.
Chinese culture boasts a long history and profound richness. The Hong Kong Jockey Club believes that the inheritance of Chinese civilisation depends on the understanding and participation of successive generations, particularly young people. In support of this vision, a commendation ceremony for the second cohort of the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme was held today (16 August) to honour ambassadors who have completed the programme, celebrating their dedication to learning about and preserving cultural heritage.
Guest tour at the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Funfair.
Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and organised by Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF), the programme aims to deepen students’ understanding and practice of traditional Chinese culture through a series of educational experiences. Showcasing the achievements of Chinese Culture Ambassadors over the past year, a Chinese Culture Funfair is underway at Tai Kwun until 17 August. Through interactive booths, live performances and workshops, members of the public can enjoy a rich and immersive cultural experience.
Guests in attendance at the ceremony included Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Lin Nan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Anita Fung, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Bernard Chan, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation; Lee Yeh-kwong, Honourary Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies; Prof Lee Chack-fan, Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies; Dr Jane Lee, President of Our Hong Kong Foundation; and Dr Yau Yat, Executive Director of The Academy of Chinese Studies.
Club Steward Anita Fung honours the Chinese Culture Ambassadors at the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Commendation Ceremony.
The Club has long been committed to promoting Chinese culture and fostering its appreciation among the public, particularly the younger generation, and to strengthening Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as outlined in the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Anita Fung said that since its launch in 2024, the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme has deepened students’ understanding and practice of Chinese culture, while nurturing cultural confidence and humanistic values through diverse learning experiences. This year, the programme attracted more than 50,000 student attendances. The three-year programme is expected to benefit more than 75,000 students, teachers and community members.
Group photo.
The Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme is guided by three themes: Art of Handicraft, Art of Architecture and Art of Costumes. Through cultural heritage craftsmanship, traditional attire and architecture, the programme enables students to appreciate the richness of traditional Chinese culture and cultivate positive values and character traits. The three-year programme is implemented by OHKF’s Academy of Chinese Studies.
Club Steward Anita Fung delivers a speech at the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Commendation Ceremony.
The programme comprises four progressively structured levels of learning activities, providing students with a comprehensive journey of discovery into the beauty of Chinese culture. The first level features school visits by cultural groups, which engage students through interactive taster sessions on Chinese culture. The second level offers hands-on experiences in practices such as a tea ceremony, lion dance, Cantonese opera and traditional architectural modelling, combining practical engagement with intellectual exploration. Students who demonstrate potential and enthusiasm are selected to join the third-level Chinese Culture Ambassador Training Programme, which includes intensive training and study visits in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. At the fourth level, students who have completed the training will promote Chinese culture through activities in care institutions through collaborations with community organisations.
Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government (4th right) ; Lin Nan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (4th left); Anita Fung, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (3rd right); Bernard Chan, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation (3rd left); Lee Yeh-kwong, Honourary Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies (2nd right); Prof Lee Chack-fan, Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies (2nd left); Dr Jane Lee, President of Our Hong Kong Foundation (1st right); and Dr Yau Yat, Executive Director of The Academy of Chinese Studies (1st left), at the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Commendation Ceremony.
The Club’s support for the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.
