National Games for Persons with Disabilities Kick Off in Hong Kong, Featuring Boccia and Wheelchair Fencing Competitions.

Boccia and Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy wheelchair fencing competition of 12th NGD and 9th NSOG to be held tomorrow

The National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) announced today (December 8) that the boccia and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy wheelchair fencing competition of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG) will be held from tomorrow (December 9) to December 14 at Kai Tak Arena and Ma On Shan Sports Centre respectively.

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Hong Kong will stage all boccia events including men's and women's individual, double and team events, and 14 gold medals will be awarded. The boccia competition will comprise nearly 100 athletes joining from 13 teams from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao competing for honours, and Hong Kong will field 11 men and eight women athletes to compete. The competition schedule is as follows:

Date

Time

Competition details

December 9

(Tuesday)

10am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 6pm

Men's and women's individual events: group stage

December 10

(Wednesday)

December 11

(Thursday)

10am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 4.30pm

Men's and women's individual events: group stage and knockout rounds

December 12

(Friday)

10am to noon and 2pm to 4.30pm

Men's and women's individual events: semifinals and finals

December 13

(Saturday)

10am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 6pm

Men's and women's double and group events: group stage and round-robin matches

December 14

(Sunday)

10 am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4.30pm

Men's and women's double and group events: round-robin matches, semifinals and finals

​As for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy wheelchair fencing competition, Hong Kong will also stage all events including men's and women's individual and team foil, épée, and sabre competitions, and 24 gold medals will be awarded. Over 80 athletes joining from 10 teams from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao will compete for medals, with Hong Kong sending seven male and six female athletes. The competition schedule is as follows:

Date

Time

Competition details

December 9

(Tuesday)

9am to 5pm

Men's sabre individual (Category A and B) and Women's foil individual (Category A and B)

December 10

(Wednesday)

Men's sabre team, Women's épée individual (Category C), Women's foil team and Men's épée individual (Category C)

December 11

(Thursday)

Men's foil individual (Category A and B) and Women's épée team (Category A and B)

December 12

(Friday)

Men's foil team, Women's sabre individual (Category C),Women's épée team and Men's sabre individual (Category C)

December 13

(Saturday)

Women's sabre individual (Category A and B) and Men's épée individual (Category A and B)

December 14

(Sunday)

Men's épée team, Women's foil individual (Category C), Women's sabre team and Men's foil individual (Category C)

Note: Wheelchair fencers are classified into three categories based on their level of impairment: A, B and C, with A representing the mildest impairment and C the most severe.

Members of the public can purchase tickets through various channels, including the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG official ticketing website (ticket.baygamespara.cn) or by searching for the official mini programme on WeChat, after completing a real-name account registration. Members of the public can also visit 11 designated sales outlets (ww2.ctshk.com/articleDetail?id=4&channelId=-1) of the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited to buy paper tickets for events in the Hong Kong competition region. Furthermore, services are also available for physical ticket purchases for the events held at the relevant venues at the ticket office of the competition area. Tickets for boccia competition are available now, while limited tickets for wheelchair users and their carers for the wheelchair fencing competition are also available.

The ticket offices at Kai Tak Station Square and Ma On Shan Sports Centre have come into operation. The ticket offices will run from 10am to 4pm on non-competition days and will operate one hour before the event starts on event days until ticket verification ceases for that day's event (i.e. 30 minutes before the scheduled finish time). Tickets are sold at Hong Kong dollar prices and accept various electronic payment methods. Real-name registration for ticket sales is adopted and please prepare an identity document for ticket purchase and before entering the venue. Spectators who purchased tickets for their family members or friends using their own accounts via the official ticketing platform should transfer the tickets to their family members or friends 24 hours prior to the start of the relevant session. Each person should carry their own e-tickets to facilitate verification and multiple entries/exits.

Official franchised merchandise stores will be set up on-site at the two competition venues, selling a variety of franchised products with Hong Kong characteristics incorporated and related to the competition events. Members of the public are welcome to visit and make purchases.

Outside the competition venue, there will also be competition villages with various game booths, including digital interactive games, booth games and art workshops themed around the competition events hosted by Hong Kong competition region. The competition villages for both boccia and wheelchair fencing events will be open on December 13 and 14 from 10am to 5pm. Members of the public are welcome to try the games and purchase tickets to watch the competitions, and cheer for athletes in person.

Source: AI-found images

Court makes review decision on sentencing for violating occupational safety and health legislation

​Regarding the sentencing in a fatal industrial accident, the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (December 8) handed down a review decision, accepting the prosecution's application for review of an earlier court sentence, increasing the fines imposed on the contractor and shortening the duration, with higher amounts for the monthly instalment of the fines.

The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on May 7, 2022, at a residential unit under renovation in Jordan. A scaffolder, while preparing to erect a truss-out bamboo scaffold on an external wall, fell to the ground and died.

The contractor was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for the violation of the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations, and was fined $90,000 and allowed to pay the fines in 90 instalments of $1,000 per month at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts on November 8, 2024.

After the sentencing, the prosecution filed a review application with the court regarding the sentences imposed on the relevant contractor. The review hearing was brought up today before the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts. The fines imposed on the contractor were increased to $160,000 and were payable in 74 instalments of $2,000 per month after deducting the fine of $12,000 that has already been paid.

A spokesman for the LD said that the ruling will disseminate a strong message to all contractors that they have to protect workers' safety and health at work in accordance with the laws. The prosecution will continue to pay attention to court rulings and will file review or appeal applications for cases where the sentences are manifestly inadequate and/or wrong in principle.

Source: AI-found images