Jockey Club Supports Community Basketball Initiative to Foster Youth Development and Character Building

To further promote sports for all and foster social cohesion, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has approved a donation of over HK$134 million through its Charities Trust to support the five-year Jockey Club Hoops Connect Community Basketball Programme. The programme also seeks to align with the 15th Five-Year Plan’s strategy to accelerate China’s development into a leading sporting nation as well as the Healthy China development strategy. The initiative will enable more young people to learn and practice basketball for whole-person development and character building, while strengthening community outreach for structured basketball training. To mark the official launch of the programme, a kick-off ceremony was held alongside the Philanthropy for Better Cities (PBC) Forum 2026 on 7 September.

Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government (centre); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (6th left); Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation (6th right); Dr Axel Schweitzer, President and Owner of ALBA Berlin Basketball (5th left); Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the YAO Foundation (5th right); Billie Lau, Executive Director of The Boys’ and Girls’Clubs Association of Hong Kong (4th left); Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (4th right); Dr Wan Lap-man, Executive Director of Hong Kong Playground Association (3rd left); Johnny Wong, General Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (3rd right); Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd right); Raymond Tam, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd left), and other guests at the Jockey Club Hoops Connect Community Basketball Programme kick-off ceremony. Photo source: HKJC

Officiating guests at the ceremony included Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation; Dr Axel Schweitzer, President and Owner of ALBA Berlin Basketball (ALBA); Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the YAO Foundation; Billie Lau, Executive Director of The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA); Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG); Dr Wan Lap-man, Executive Director of Hong Kong Playground Association (HKPA); and Johnny Wong, General Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (YMCA).

Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, delivers a speech at the Jockey Club Hoops Connect Community Basketball Programme kick-off ceremony. Photo source: HKJC

Speaking at the ceremony, Rosanna Law noted that sport is not only about enhancing athletic performance. It also serves as an important foundation for physical and mental well-being, playing a vital role in fostering social cohesion and spreading positive values. She added that the HKSAR Government will continue to invest resources in promoting the holistic development of sports in Hong Kong. Noting that the Club has long been an important partner of the Government in advancing sports development, she expressed confidence that the programme will help expand access to high-quality basketball training in the community, enabling more young people to benefit.

Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges delivers a speech at the Jockey Club Hoops Connect Community Basketball Programme kick-off ceremony. Photo source: HKJC

Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club believes deeply in the power of sport to change lives. As one of Hong Kong's most popular team sports, basketball is an ideal way to engage young people while imparting valuable life lessons. With this vision in mind, the Club is working to strengthen sector-wide capacity and build a sustainable basketball ecosystem in Hong Kong through a three-pronged strategy of upgrading facilities, delivering high-quality community programmes and nurturing capable coaches. Through the new initiative, the Club hopes to support the holistic, all-round development of the city’s young people, helping them develop not only their skills, but also their confidence and character.

YMCA collaborates with ALBA to develop a tailored coach training course targeting tertiary students in sports-related disciplines. Photo source; HKJC

The five-year programme comprises district-wide youth training jointly delivered by BGCA, HKFYG and HKPA, as well as coach training organised by YMCA. The youth training will be conducted across all 18 Hong Kong districts, offering annual nine-month basketball programmes for young people aged six to 16, particularly those who may lack equitable access to structured training opportunities due to financial or social barriers. Leveraging the Club’s partnership with the YAO Foundation, and drawing on experiences from ALBA, the programme references international best practices in developing “whole-person basketball training”.

In addition to training and competition, participants will also have the opportunity to take part in learning activities and have opportunities to join exchange trips to the Chinese Mainland and overseas. To maintain high-quality training and expand the pipeline of coaching talent for this and other future basketball programmes, YMCA is collaborating with ALBA to develop a tailored coach training course targeting tertiary students in sports-related disciplines. Upon successful completion of the training, graduates will receive dual accreditation, a YMCA local certificate and overseas recognition through ALBA.

Local elite basketball players and ALBA coaches interact with young people in a skills demonstration at the kick-off ceremony of the Jockey Club Hoops Connect Community Basketball Programme. Photo source: HKJC

The programme is expected to benefit more than 4,600 young participants, enhancing their basketball skills, physical fitness, psychosocial well-being and personal growth, while also training some 450 coaches to deliver quality community basketball programmes. In addition, the programme's public engagement activities are projected to attract around 50,000 attendances.

Officiating guests receive commemorative basketballs from youth participants. Photo source: HKJC

As a world-class sports and entertainment organisation with a strong commitment to the nation and to Hong Kong, the Club actively supports national and local sports development at both community and elite levels. These efforts reflect the Club’s purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society. To further strengthen its support for sports development, the Club announced last year a commitment of HK$3 billion over the following three years.

The Club’s support for the Jockey Club Hoops Connect Community Basketball 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.

Group photo, Photo source: HKJC

Established by HKU Business School with funding from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute (“the Institute”) advances research, knowledge exchange, talent development and cross-sector collaboration in enterprise sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG). The Institute today (22 October) convened the “2026 Sustainability Forum: Global Leadership Dialogue” at the West Kowloon Cultural District. The forum brought together more than 200 leaders and experts from industry, academia and government worldwide to exchange perspectives on environmental and social challenges arising from sustainable development, and to explore practical pathways for translating expertise into viable solutions. The forum was also livestreamed, extending the discussions to audiences in Hong Kong and beyond.

The HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute convened the “2026 Sustainability Forum: Global Leadership Dialogue.”

Officiating at the opening ceremony was The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR; Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward; Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong; and Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean and Chair of Economics of HKU Business School, among other guests. Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium and former Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was also invited to attend the event and deliver the opening keynote address.

Also delivering a speech, Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward, said: “Sustainability has become an increasingly important lens through which the Trust strives to improve livability and long-term well-being in Hong Kong, as one of its nine impact programme areas. [At today’s forum] we will learn about turning knowledge into action by deepening cross-sector partnerships, nurturing the next generation of sustainability leaders and developing practical solutions that deliver lasting benefits for society.”

Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward, delivers a speech at the 2026 Sustainability Forum.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, said that impact investing should go beyond financial performance assessment. It should channel capital into livelihood and green sectors, such as healthcare and clean energy, so as to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth that balances social value and financial return.

The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR, delivers a speech at the 2026 Sustainability Forum.

Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium and former Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, delivered the opening keynote address. He explored how sustainability co-operation can endure in the global economy through pragmatic, self-interest-driven action that prioritises interoperability over uniformity in standards and accounting.

Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium and former Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, delivers the opening keynote.

The HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute was established in 2024 with an approved donation of over HK$426 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Reflecting the Trust’s commitment to fostering cross-sector collaboration, knowledge exchange and talent development, the Institute brings together academia, industry and policymakers to advance sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. Positioned as a knowledge hub connecting Hong Kong with Asia and the wider world, it promotes capacity building and stakeholder engagement, while supporting the translation of research and innovative ideas into practical solutions to complex environmental and societal challenges and contributing to Hong Kong’s long-term sustainable development.

As part of the initiative, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships were established, comprising four endowed professorship positions across the fields of Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, and Accounting. By bringing distinguished international scholars to Hong Kong, the initiative strengthens research excellence, promotes knowledge exchange and helps translate academic insights into practical policy recommendations and solutions that contribute to a more livable, resilient, and sustainable society.

Attending the opening ceremony of 2026 Sustainability Forum are The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR (centre); Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward (right); and Professor Xiang Zhang, President and ViceChancellor of the University of Hong Kong (left).

The Club’s support for the Institute, like all its charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique value creation model, through which the Club generates sustainable economic and social value for the community through tax contributions, charitable donations and employment opportunities.