Jockey Club supports youthfest@HK for the fourth consecutive year to empower young people to build a brighter future

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is supporting youthfest@HK for the fourth consecutive year, with the 2026 edition launching today (28 July) at the HYAB JC Y Cube at Youth Square in Chai Wan. As the annual flagship initiative under the HKSAR Government’s Youth Development Blueprint, youthfest@HK provides a positive and inclusive platform for young people from diverse backgrounds to realise their potential, broaden their horizons and cultivate positive values, a strong sense of national identity and a global perspective. These experiences equip young people to meet future challenges with confidence. Since 2023, the Club has supported the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) in delivering youthfest@HK through the Chief Executive’s Community Project List, with an annual approved donation of HK$10 million from the Club’s Charities Trust.

Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (5th right); Clarence Leung, Acting Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government (9th left); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (4th right); Patrick Li, Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government (8th left); Kenneth Leung, Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission (3rd right); Victor Pang, Convenor of the Action Group on Youth Festival of the Youth Development Commission (7th left), and Winnie So, Head of the Youth Link Committee (2nd right), officiate at the opening ceremony of youthfest@HK 2026.

Officiating guests at the launch ceremony included Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Clarence Leung, Acting Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government; Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Patrick Li, Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government; Kenneth Leung, Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission; Victor Pang, Convenor of the Action Group on Youth Festival of the Youth Development Commission, and Winnie So, Head of the Youth Link Committee.

Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (left) and Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang (right) tour booths at the opening ceremony of youthfest@HK 2026.

Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (left) and Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang (right) tour booths at the opening ceremony of youthfest@HK 2026.

Speaking at the ceremony, Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang said that the Club has always attached great importance to youth development. Through cross-sector collaboration and innovative thinking, it initiates and supports a wide range of projects that provide young people with diverse and equitable opportunities to develop their potential and contribute to society. He noted that the Club’s youth initiatives align closely with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the HKSAR Government’s Youth Development Blueprint, through a commitment to nurturing a new generation with both a strong sense of national identity and a global vision. This includes the Club’s support for the Strive and Rise Programme since 2022, helping students from underprivileged backgrounds broaden their horizons, build confidence and better plan for their futures.

Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of youthfest@HK 2026.

Each year, youthfest@HK brings together the Government, business sector, academia and the wider community to organise around 200 diverse activities, attracting approximately 200,000 participants. One of the key programmes in the previous edition was Youth Fest Youth Quest, which featured thematic sharing sessions and direct dialogue with Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs. The programme encouraged young people to actively participate in public affairs and policy discussions, while fostering exchanges between youth and different sectors of the community to explore Hong Kong’s future development.

Youngsters perform at the 2026 youthfest@HK kick-off ceremony.

The Club actively supports youth development through a broad range of initiatives. In addition to youthfest@HK, it supports projects such as 21C@JC, which enhances services for young people in the digital age, and JC YUP, which provides personalised support during three key transition stages from education to employment. Last year, the Club also announced a HK$1.4 billion donation to support five youth development initiatives. These include the HYAB JC Scheme for Youth Life Planning, launched in partnership with HYAB, and the enhancement of facilities at Youth Square, including the establishment of the HYAB JC Y Cube, the venue of today’s launch ceremony. The upgraded facilities feature interactive spaces and audio-visual production amenities that enable young people to explore diverse pathways and prepare for the future.

Youngsters perform at the 2026 youthfest@HK kick-off ceremony.

The Club’s support for youthfest@HK, 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.

Group photo.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) today (18 July) signed a Deepened Collaboration Agreement (the Agreement) with the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government. Leveraging the world-class, equine-themed culture-sports-tourism activities to be staged at Conghua Racecourse as a starting point, the two parties will further develop the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry In-depth Cooperation Zone (the Zone), as highlighted in Guangzhou’s Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan. The two parties will also promote the formation of a high-quality Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry Economic Cluster (the Cluster), thereby contributing further to the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government (4th left); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Club (4th right); Pan Zhijun, Secretary General of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government (3rd left); Clement Woo, Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR Government (3rd right); Zhu Xiaoyi, Deputy Secretary General of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government (2nd left); Raymond Tam, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of the Club (2nd right); Wu Sa, Director of the Guangzhou Development and Reform Commission (Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Office) (1st left); and So Tsz Yin, Acting Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government (1st right), attend the signing ceremony.

In the presence of Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government; Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Club; Zhu Xiaoyi, Deputy Secretary General of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government; and Clement Woo, Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR Government, the Agreement was signed by Pan Zhijun, Secretary General of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government; and Raymond Tam, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of the Club.

In the presence of Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government (back row, 2nd left); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Club (back row, 2nd right); Zhu Xiaoyi, Deputy Secretary General of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government (back row, 1st left); and Clement Woo, Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR Government (back row, 1st right), the Deepened Collaboration Agreement to further advance equine industry development was signed by Pan Zhijun, Secretary General of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government (front row, left); and Raymond Tam, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of the Club (front row, right).

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Club, noted that the Club, as a world-class horse sports organisation, is committing to leveraging Hong Kong’s internationally recognised expertise and experience in horse racing and equine sports to support the development of the GBA as a leading global hub for equine sports and the equine industry. Over the years, the Club has been cooperating closely with the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government and achieved significant progress in the establishment of Conghua Racecourse and promoting the development of the GBA’s equine value chain. Through deeper collaboration with the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government, synergised by the launch of a regular world-class racing programme and equine-themed culture-sports-tourism activities at the Conghua Racecourse, the Club hopes to further promote the development of equine sports and the equine industry in the GBA. This will foster the integrated development of culture, sports and tourism and stimulate the sports event economy, as well as promote institutional innovation and connectivity across the GBA, thereby elevating the region’s international competitiveness and influence.

The Outline of Guangzhou’s 15th Five-Year Plan proposes advancing in-depth cooperation between Guangzhou and Hong Kong in the equine industry, introducing regular international-standard horse racing events, and planning the development of a Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry In-Depth Cooperation Zone. The Club has also recently submitted recommendations for Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan, which include fully leveraging Conghua Racecourse as a strategic platform for deeper Guangzhou-Hong Kong cooperation, introducing world-class racing and equine events across the GBA and positioning the GBA as a global equine industry hub.

Starting from this year, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Conghua Racecourse will commence its programme of regular world-class horse racing.

By fully leveraging Hong Kong and Guangzhou’s roles as the core engines of GBA development, and the Club’s international standing, professional expertise and management experience in equine sports, this collaboration will continue to optimise the equine-themed culture-sports-tourism business model and develop Conghua Racecourse into a World-class Horse Sports and Equine Industry Demonstration Base cum Horse-themed Culture-Sports-Tourism Integrated Destination. In alignment with Guangzhou’s Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the aim is to substantially establish the Zone by 2030, supporting the Cluster as an industry with strong economic vitality and international influence in the GBA.

To achieve the above targets, the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government and the Club will together put forward the below collaboration areas according to the Agreement:

*1. Planning and Development of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry In-depth Cooperation Zone*

• The Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government will formulate a development plan for the Zone and accelerate the enhancement of supporting facilities in the vicinity of Conghua Racecourse. Leveraging the racecourse as an industry anchor, a diverse range of equine-themed cultural, leisure and tourism experiences will be developed.

• Construction and operation of the Guangzhou Conghua International Racing Development Centre, as well as management and maintenance of the Equine Disease-Free Zone in Conghua, will continue to be advanced. Cooperation with customs and agricultural authorities in Guangzhou and Hong Kong will be strengthened to facilitate more efficient cross-boundary movement.

• International exchanges will be strengthened to support the participation of horses from overseas and the Chinese Mainland in equine-themed culture-sports-tourism activities. In compliance with relevant laws, and while safeguarding biosecurity and the equine disease-free status of Conghua, the importation, trading and breeding of high-quality horses will be advanced in a steady and orderly manner.

• Building on the successful implementation of the “Five Connections” initiatives for the 15th National Games, Conghua Racecourse will leverage its strengths to promote cross-boundary veterinary practice in the Chinese Mainland, the importation of veterinary drugs into the Chinese Mainland, equipment flow, anti-doping testing, and professional exchange and public education. Conghua Racecourse will also be developed into an important platform supporting the development of a “Sports Bay Area”.

*2. Building a World-class Equine Sports and Industry Demonstration Base cum Horse-themed Culture-Sports-Tourism Integrated Destination*

• Ensure the successful organisation of equine-themed culture-sports-tourism activities at Conghua Racecourse. Leveraging the Club’s strengths in operating across “Two Cities, Three Racecourses”, equine-themed tourism products will be developed. These will include equine-themed experience tours in partnership with travel agencies, multi-destination travel packages, and unique equine tourism experiences through local tourism exhibitions and official media platforms.

• Both parties will jointly promote equine-themed culture-sports-tourism activities to the public in the GBA, and encourage collaborations with journalism schools and sports media institutions to enhance the understanding of horse racing among sports media professionals. Promotion of horse culture will also be strengthened at both national and international levels, through the organization of equine culture exhibitions and documentary productions.

*3. Promoting the high-quality development of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry Economic Cluster*

• Leveraging the planning and development of the Zone as an opportunity, a new development framework for the GBA’s equine industry will be formulated. This will include focusing on Conghua Racecourse as one of the core venues to launch a diverse range of horse-themed competitions and activities.

• The equine industry will be integrated with cultural tourism and the convention and exhibition sectors, while extending upstream and downstream value chains through an array of equine sports-themed products.

• Drawing on the Club’s philanthropic experience and resources, both parties will work together to enhance public well-being and contribute to the betterment of society.

*4. Strengthening talent development for equine sports and industries*

• The Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government will support the Club’s initiatives under the “school-enterprise cooperation” model by promoting and facilitating training programmes that meet the talent needs of the equine industry and Conghua Racecourse. Initiatives include the implementation of modern apprentice models and order-based classes grouped around horse racing, and more.

• Both parties will promote the mutual recognition of qualifications for equine sports and industry professionals between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. For example, the Hong Kong Certificate Racing Programmes have recently been integrated into the Guangdong Lifelong Education Qualification Framework.

The Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government and the Club will establish a regular cooperation and communication mechanism to coordinate various tasks for the development of Guangzhou-Hong Kong equine industry collaboration. Other Chinese Mainland officials attending today’s signing ceremony also included: Wu Sa, Director of the Guangzhou Development and Reform Commission (Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Office); Tan Aiying, Director-General of Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau; Liu Zhijie, District Mayor, Conghua District Government; Deng Changxiong, Deputy-Director of Foreign Affairs Office (Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office) of Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government; Wu Qingsong, Deputy Director-General of Guangzhou Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau; and others.

In 2021, the Club signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Guangzhou Municipal Government to jointly promote Guangzhou-Hong Kong equine industry collaboration, with the Club’s Conghua Racecourse serving as a key driver of the initiative. In addition, the Club actively supports the HKSAR Government’s racing tourism policy, leveraging the racing and entertainment experiences offered by its two Hong Kong racecourses to support development of the city’s events and tourism economy.