Hong Kong celebrates Paralympic Day

The Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled (HKPC) celebrated the second Hong Kong Paralympic Day on 8 July, with over 1,200 participants taking part in Para sport exhibitions.

The Hong Kong Sports Institute staged the event, which coincided with the 90 days to go for the Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games landmark.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) CEO Xavier Gonzalez; The Hon Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong Special AdministrativeRegion Chief Executive; Mr. Lau Kong-wah, Secretary for Home Affairs; Majid Rashed, Asian Paralympic Committee President; and Jenny Fung, HKPC President, were among the attendants.

Gonzalez said: “Events such as this are vital for raising the profile of the Paralympic Movement, Para sports and Para athletes, especially at a time when so many major Para sport events are taking place in Asia.

“Hong Kong has rich heritage of success at the Paralympic Games, most noticeably in sports such as wheelchair fencing, athletics, table tennis and boccia. Therefore, I am delighted that today there are so many opportunities for people to try out different Para sports and enjoy demonstrations in five Paralympic sports.

“Following the success of PyeongChang 2018, we are all eagerly awaiting and preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, with just over two years to go. I fully expect the Tokyo Games to take the Paralympic Movement to the next level in terms of athletes’ performances, participation and global broadcast and media coverage.”

The Hon Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, added: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has increased resources to support the development of Para sports.

“The estimated expenditure in 2018-19 is nearly HKD 70 million. It is 50 per cent more than that of last financial year to support the local Para athletes preparing for and participating in international and national major events, and the organisation of major local sports events.

“The Government also completed the Consultancy Study on Sport for People with Disabilities in Hong Kong and related public consultation. One of the recommended measures is to provide full-time training opportunities and enhance support for high-performance athletes with disabilities.”