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.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has been delighted to support the French May Arts Festival for 15 consecutive years, including this year’s opening programme – The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance. Focusing on the iconic Italian Renaissance painting, the Mona Lisa, the exhibition explores the creative spirit and aesthetic ideas of the Renaissance through a multi-media journey centred on this celebrated masterpiece. The narrative is further enriched by art treasures from leading European institutions. The exhibition will be on view at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum from 1 May to 27 July.
Guests tour The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
The opening ceremony for the exhibition was held today (30 April). Officiating guests included Rosanna Law, HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Manda Chan, HKSAR Government Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; Nicholas Hunsworth, Club Steward; Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, and other guests.
Rosanna Law, HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism (centre); Manda Chan, HKSAR Government Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (1st left); Nicholas Hunsworth, Club Steward (4th right); Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau (4th left); Pansy Ho, Co-Chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival (3rd left); Vincent Larnicol, Vice President of Grand Palais Immersif (3rd right); Vincent Delieuvin, Chief Curator of Italian Painting of the Sixteenth Century of Musée du Louvre (2nd left); Dr Matteo Gianeselli, Curator and Art Historian of Musee de la Renaissance (2nd right); Brian Lam, Museum Director of Hong Kong Heritage Museum (1st right) and other guests at the opening ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth said the exhibition offers an unprecedented hybrid experience, blending centuries-old legacy with immersive technology, and culminating with the vision of Asian artists as a bridge between East and West. The Club’s support for the exhibition, together with its role as the exclusive sponsor of The Jockey Club Community Outreach and Arts Education Programmes, reflects its commitment to nurturing talent, fostering arts appreciation and supporting cultural development in Hong Kong. It also aligns with the Central Government’s vision of developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as outlined in the National 15th Five-Year Plan.
Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition is a multi-media showcase that invites visitors to appreciate the Mona Lisa from a new perspective. Specially created for Hong Kong by the Musée du Louvre and the Grand Palais Immersif, the exhibition is narrated by the Mona Lisa herself through a monologue that reveals the captivating stories behind her mysterious smile. Selected treasures from the Musée National de la Renaissance of France, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana of Italy and Ateliers d’art Grand Palais RMN are also featured. Most of the exhibits are being shown in Hong Kong for the first time, including four original sketches and notes by Leonardo da Vinci alongside masterpieces from the Renaissance, including sculptures, paintings, drawings and engravings.
Selected exhibits at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
In addition, the exhibition offers interactive multimedia displays that introduce Leonardo's painting techniques, playful games, as well as an immersive photo booth that allows visitors to step into the world of the Mona Lisa. These elements guide audiences to explore and appreciate the iconic Mona Lisa from new perspectives, while delving into the vision and spirit of innovation that defined the Renaissance. The exhibition also features three items from the collection of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, along with paintings by Chinese Mainland artist Xu Lei, presenting Asian artistic perspectives while illustrating the influence of 14th‑century European culture, thereby creating a narrative that bridges East and West. For further details please visit: https://hk.heritage.museum/en/exhibitions/monalisa2026.html
Guests tour The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
The Club’s Charities Trust is also supporting other programmes in the French May Arts Festival under the theme of “Re/naissance”, including Rendezvous @ Tai Kwun, which features Voûte, an outdoor performance in the Parade Ground by Cirque du Corbak of CNAC, France’s National Center for Circus Arts, which blends music, visual art and technology. In addition, a four-day artist-in-residence programme will promote cultural exchange and collaboration between French and local performers.
Selected exhibits at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
Selected exhibits at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
In addition, the long-established The Jockey Club Community Outreach and Arts Education Programmes will continue to provide enriching educational and outreach activities including guided tours, workshops, talks and screenings. As every year, the Club will provide support for accessibility services to make the festival more accessible to all.
Selected exhibits at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
The Club’s support for the French May Arts Festival, 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 tour The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance exhibition.
