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Chief Executive CY Leung
2016 was a busy year for Team Hong Kong. Among countless other sports competitions, our athletes joined the world's very best in the Rio Olympic Games and the Rio Paralympic Games. Winning medals, applause, admiration and respect – from not only fellow Hong Kongers, but all those who had watched you play; all those moved by your tenacity, perseverance, and your can-do spirit.
Such is the spirit of Hong Kong. You have inspired our young people as to the value of passion, commitment, diligence, and team work. And this is how sports go beyond entertainment and recreation. How sports build a community that is healthier, livelier, and stronger.
So I am very pleased to see an increasing interest in sports among Hong Kong people. Many of our young ones, in particular, are showing potential as top athletes. Our Rio Olympics delegation, for example, was on average below 23 years old. Over 70% of them qualified for the Olympics for the very first time.
This is encouraging news, and proof that the Government's efforts in nurturing young athletes and promoting sports development are bearing fruit.
This year, we are devoting more resources to promoting sports in the community and supporting elite sports. In my Policy Address, I announced that the Government will inject $1 billion into the Elite Athletes Development Fund. We will spend $20 billion in the coming five years to build and improve sports and recreation facilities, counting a total of 26 projects and 54 facilities – sports grounds, football pitches, tennis and basketball courts, a sports centre, swimming pool complexes, and others.
And of course, the Kai Tak Sports Park – the largest sports complex to be built in Hong Kong – is in the pipeline. Pre-construction will begin next year, for completion in 2022. Once in operation, we will be attracting even more international sports events to Hong Kong, enhancing our image as Asia's sports city.
My heartfelt thanks to the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and today's title sponsor, Samsung, for organising this celebrated event. My thanks, as well, to the SF&OC, athletes, trainers, medical professionals, and everyone else who played a part in Hong Kong's sporting achievements in 2016.
I congratulate all winners of the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards, and wish you tremendous success in future games. Thank you.
Chief Executive CY Leung gave these remarks at the Samsung 2016 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards Presentation Ceremony on March 21.
