a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups
Youth
December 2021
Volume 13 Number 4
HONG KONG
Sportsmanship Perseverance Opportunities Respect Teamwork Success
Contents
OVERVIEW 4 Valuing sport YOUTH AND COACHES SPEAK 6
Community team sports Running, skipping, dodgeball, ice hockey, lacrosse Football, Thai boxing Coaches for dodgeball, lacrosse and ice hockey
December 2021 | Youth Hong Kong
Volume 13 Number 4
INTERVIEWS 12 13 16
Positive coaching Sam Wong Levelling the playing field Judy Kong, InspiringHK Sports Foundation Tackling rugby Andy Pong and Fei-mei Leung, Gai Wu
12-18
4-5
INTERVIEWS
OVERVIEW
PERSPECTIVES 19 21 24
6-11
From player to entrepreneur Jacky Lau, BALLLIFEHK Parents on extra-curricular sports Group discussion; ed Lakshmi Jacota Fair transgender competition Tiffany Tiu
YOUTH AND COACHES SPEAK
19-26
SERVICES 27 29 31
Building Community Team Sports Project Wind Stanley camp is back!
PERSPECTIVES
YOUTH WATCH 32
27-31
Game on: sports around the world
FEATURES 36 38
SERVICES
Quarantine fitness and sanity Group discussion, ed Elaine Morgan Chasing Hong Kong lighthouses Ryan Ho
32-35
HKFYG PUBLICATIONS 40 41 42
YOUTH WATCH
Readers' Gift Set Offer Youth IDEAS Reports No 64 Keeping creative industry talent in HK No 65 Safeguarding The Rule of Law
36-39 FEATURES
HKFYG NEWS 44 Anti-drug truck 45 Volunteering 46 ESG on the Farm 47 Organic Farm hampers 48 PH2 hostel 50 GBA Startups 51 Neighbourhood Lunch
YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Andy Ho (Chair) Elaine Morgan (Contributing Editor) Ada Chau (Managing Editor) Wilson Chan Angela Ngai Lakshmi Jacotă Hsu Siu-man Christa Cheung William Chung Miranda Ho Hon Adviser Veronica Pearson CIRCULATION (unaudited) 10,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas
2
40-43
44-51
HKFYG PUBLICATIONS
HKFYG NEWS
VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors’ and interviewees’, may come from official sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher
ARTWORK & DESIGN DG3 & HKFYG
REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited
LAYOUT & PRINTING DG3
OVERVIEW & INTERVIEWS Elaine Morgan, Ada Chau & CPS team
ISSN 2519-1098 (Online)
TRANSLATION Ada Chau & Angela Ngai
CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong
PHOTOGRAPHS By editorial team, acknowledged as captioned, stock images or in public domain TRADEMARKS All brand names and product names are registered trademarks. Youth Hong Kong is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in articles.
COVER DESIGN DG3 ISSN 2071-3193 (Print) WEB youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk
TEL 3755 7108 FAX 3755 7155 EMAIL youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Ada Chau 3755 7108
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups was founded in 1960 and is the city’s largest youth service organization. More than 25,000 activities are organized by over 80 units annually with attendance of nearly 6 million. Services Camps, Leisure, Cultural and Sports Services, Counselling, Creativity education and STEM, Education and continuous learning, Employment and entrepreneurship, Exchange, Leadership training, M21 Multimedia, Parenting, Publications, Research and Publications, Volunteering, Youth at Risk, Youth SPOTs WEB hkfyg.org.hk m21.hk Online donations giving.hkfyg.org.hk
Editorial December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
No one would disagree that sports are important for young people to maintain good health. They are also useful for developing universal moral values including perseverance, sportsmanship and a strong team spirit. The Federation is keen to provide good opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to participate in various sports and so it launched a programme for this purpose in 2016. Young people who grow up within a strong sporting culture can also contribute as volunteers, coaches, entrepreneurs and even funders, but the support of parents, educators and society as a whole is crucial if their initiatives are to succeed. As the end of 2021 approaches, we hope everyone will stay healthy and that many sports events will take place successfully. We also wish you all the best for Christmas and for the year to come.
Andy Ho Wing-cheong Executive Director, HKFYG December 2021
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Overview December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Valuing sport l Sport is valued for its character-building function as well as for health reasons, but lack of access to suitable facilities is problematic in Hong Kong.
l 運動有益身心，更有助青年建立良好 品格，然而，一般人較少機會接觸運 動設施，是香港需要正視的問題。
l Inclusion of all youth in sports opportunities depends on greater sharing and generous funding, especially for community-oriented programmes.
l 要讓所有青年獲得接觸運動的機會， 尤其是社區體育相關的項目，實有賴 各界的分享及支援。
l Encouraging everyone to have a positive attitude to sports will also open up the industry and allow for the development of more sports-related careers.
The benefits of sport for youth go far beyond healthy physical development. In community sports in particular, the motivation is simply to take part and to contribute, developing a sense of belonging in the process. This is often achieved through identification with other members of a cohesive local team. Inclusion is central. Winning, albeit a bonus, comes second. Indeed, the social element of sport provides a bridge between people with backgrounds and of different ages. Sport also offers a unique way of developing good habits, positive attitudes and moral values. Respect for others, perseverance, hard work and self-discipline are among the key concepts of sportsmanship. Fairness is another. A fair player shows awareness both of themselves and of others. He or she thinks critically and acts responsibly with honesty and humility. While equity and equality are also among the core values of sport, it must be said that egalitarian access – or the lack of it - to facilities for sport is a big problem in Hong Kong and this is one reason why the Federation launched a sports programme for youth. The programme began by offering training in sports for which facilities were available while taking young people from less privileged backgrounds out of their normal environment when access to opportunities for sport were lacking. Take water sports, for example, and swimming in particular. According to a 2009 government-commissioned consultancy report,1 it is one of the most popular sports in Hong Kong. This was confirmed by an independent 4
l 鼓勵更多人支持並參與運動，有助業 界發展，並提供更多相關職位。
report2 published in 2019 that showed it to be second only to badminton in terms of popularity. Nevertheless, fewer than half of all Hong Kong secondary school students know how to swim.3 This is surprising, given the climate in Hong Kong, that the city has 44 public swimming pools, hundreds of private pools in schools, recreational clubs and private buildings and easy access to the sea. HKFYG's outdoor centres offer watersports in an effort to redress this issue.
Sport offers a unique way of developing good habits, positive attitudes and moral values.
HKFYG's outdoor centres offer watersports in an effort to redress this issue.
Nevertheless, in 2021, an outstanding sporting year for the local community when Hong Kong won six Olympic medals, a HK$1 billion pledge was made for sports development in the October Policy Address7. One of the stated goals was to “explore ways to further promote sports development in Hong Kong through enhanced professionalism in the sports sector and development of sports as an industry.” Specific mention was made of providing young people with job and development opportunities, if not of access to facilities. Opportunities for all young people to achieve to their fullest potential in the world of work are warmly welcomed by the Federation, but where sport is concerned, surely access to opportunities for participation must come first. At a time when obesity in youth is on a rise and so much importance is placed on both physical and mental wellbeing, we look forward to progress in this regard.
Shortage of facilities is not the main problem. A 2016 study4 by the Hong Kong Baptist University found that only 23% of the city’s schools opened their sports venues to the public outside school hours despite government subsidies for this purpose. This is far less than the percentage in some other countries, such as the US, where 57% open their facilities, Japan with 99% and mainland China with 29%, according to the same study. The real problem lies in inequality and a failure to rectify it. Instead, exclusive rights of access to facilities are given to a small minority even when those facilities are built on government land for which peppercorn rents are paid, international schools and private clubs being among them. According to 2020/2021 figures,5 just 60 government schools out of over a thousand are taking part in the scheme and there are only 38 beneficiary organizations. The number of individual participants is 9,167. Indoor badminton facilities were available at just one school despite badminton’s continued popularity, attested to by a recent government-commissioned study.6 Access to a swimming pool was available at none of the schools. These figures speak for themselves, showing that much more needs to be done if egalitarian access to sports facilities for all is to improve. Sport for all is the ostensible goal but since we are a long way from reaching it, perhaps it must be admitted that sport is not really valued very highly in Hong Kong.
Encouraging perseverance when faced with challenges, developing positive skills, attitudes and the prized team spirit that comes with shared goals, are at the heart of all work for youth. Today, our remit in community team sports has broadened. It includes virtual sports, a development that took on unprecedented importance during the two pandemic years that are nearly behind us now. In the future, while team sports and the community remain a central part of the Federation’s vision for healthy youth development, we also look forward to creating programmes that go further to build a sports culture that values the contribution being made to our economy by the sports industry and to generating enthusiasm for career opportunities in sports. Meantime, we say that playing the game is what is most important in sport, not winning, and making opportunities available to all youth is the primary goal. Arthur Ashe, the only African American male tennis player to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles, was also an activist. He pushed forward inner-city tennis programmes for youth and once said. Arthur Ashe once said, “You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy.” Read more 1. lcsd.gov.hk/en/sportforall/common/pdf/study_abr_082009_e.pdf 2. d8aspring.com/eye-on-asia/infographic-asia-research-poll-most-popular-sports-in-asia 3. scholars.hkbu.edu.hk/en/publications/a-survey-on-the-swimming-abilities-among-secondary-schoolstudent-10 4. bunews.hkbu.edu.hk/news/knowledge/hkbu-scholar-s-study-shows-that-only-23-of-secondary-andprimary-schools-open-their-sports-facilities-for-community-use 5. gia.info.gov.hk/general/202106/02/P2021060200350_368989_1_1622630816641.pdf 6. legco.gov.hk/yr20-21/english/panels/ha/papers/ha20210927cb4-1551-5-e.pdf 7. policyaddress.gov.hk/2021/eng/p117.html
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Youth and coaches speak December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Determined to Succeed l Team Hong Kong proved their determination to succeed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this year.
l 香港隊在東京奧運取得佳績，展現了他們爭勝的 決心。
l They, and others who have represented Hong Kong in sport, can inspire and motivate young people.
l 他們代表香港作賽，啟發並激勵了眾多香港人。
l Will participants in HKFYG’s sports and other programmes find the determination to be equally successful one day? Some talk about their dreams.
Many children who are involved in either team or individual sports dream of representing their country or city on a global stage. Of course, these dreams are not always fulfilled, but when they are, the achievements inspire and motivate the young. Who could forget the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, when Lee Lai-shan won the city’s first ever gold medal for windsurfing? At this year’s Tokyo Games, fencer Cheung Ka-long brought home a gold again – the first in 25 years. With him, swimmers and cyclists, as well as table tennis players and martial artists won a grand total of seven medals: a landmark achievement for the city. In some ways, even more impressive are the achievements of Hong Kong Paralympians. The city’s 24-strong delegation won five medals at Tokyo this year with an amazing 131 medals over the years. Not only Olympic medallists can inspire. Ho Yuen-kei was born with spinal muscular atrophy but is currently ranked second in the world in Paralympic boccia*. Her advice to all athletes is, "As long as you have the abilities, use them and do not limit yourself.”.
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l 香港青年協會社區體育部青年及運動項目參加者 能得到他們啟發，發揮潛能、勇創佳績嗎？他們 跟讀者分享了他們的夢想及計劃。
Former national hockey squad member Justin Mak, believes that perseverance and working hard, listening to those with more experience and being open to new skills and are the keys to success. He also says, “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. When you mess up, the best way of getting better is to gain the confidence to take risks.” Now studying at Imperial College, London, Justin hopes to represent England in hockey one day. Both Justin and Yuen-kei, very different in their choice of sport, abilities and achievements, share the determination to succeed. This is what sets them apart and this is what everyone involved in sports can see, whether they are at amateur or professional level or just enjoy sport as a leisure activity. As Lai Chiwai, once a world-ranked rock-climbing champion who is now a paraplegic said, “I can still dream and still do what I love.” For him, it meant climbing Lion Rock, just to show it was possible. What about future stars? Perhaps someone now taking part in HKFYG Community Team Sports (CTS) or other similar programmes and events might end up representing Hong Kong. They show both determination and commitment, as their feedback below shows. Many have also taken risks and agree that you learn through your mistakes.
Run21: raising funds and hopes A group of 18–25-year-olds have been raising funds for youth sports development this month, especially for the disadvantaged. They ran 124 km in 21 hours around all the Federation’s Youth SPOTs from Kwai Fong to Tsuen Wan, from Tuen Mun to Tin Shui Wai, Fanling, Sha Tin, Lok Fu and Hung Hom before heading over to Hong Kong Island East and eight other Youth SPOTs and finishing at LOHAS.
Two of them say: Anastasia Running is part of my life but the
pandemic had a big effect on me, because of all the rules and restrictions. With Run21, I could train with others again after so long. Although I needed to catch up to the male runners’ pacing and speed, being part of the team gave me so much encouragement. That kind of support and team spirit are very important in trying to achieve a goal!
Fok I I have learned so much about running from our coach. He has taught me things I wouldn’t necessarily have thought about before, like posture and the mindset required for long-distance running. Run21 really made me push myself to the limit, but it was well worth the effort. I enjoyed the experience, the teamwork and the opportunity to visit parts of Hong Kong I’d never been to before. Tin Shui Wai, for example, it was so open and green. A wonderful place to run. And it felt so good to reach our goal.
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Youth and coaches speak December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
HKFYG Community Team Sports
I started playing ice hockey because I wanted to join a team and learn something new. It took a lot of hard work before I could ice-skate properly, but it is so much fun and now I really enjoy playing. I have learnt to believe in myself more and am determined to play better. One day, I want to do an advance ice hockey training course.
Lacrosse: 10-year-old Cailey
I used to be someone who stayed in indoors, reading and drawing but I fell in love with lacrosse when I did two summer courses with HKFYG’s CTS. The first thing I enjoyed was making new friends and belonging to a team with them. Then, I really enjoy competing against the other teams. Of course, it is nice to win, but playing lacrosse together is what I really like. It has made me interested in other sports and I have started playing netball and basketball as well. I still like to do things indoors, but finding a balance has been good for me, I think.
Dodgeball: 14-year-old Chi-rui I joined CTS programmes every year for the past four years and each year I like to try something new. It’s just for fun in the summer and this year I did a free dodgeball course. I loved having the chance to play and to enter competitions. Trying different sports is important for me. I think that with sports like dodgeball that are not so well known, it is important to have free trials as promotion.
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Rope skipping: 13-year-old Mindy
By Enric Fredera flic.kr/p/RFNX1j
Ice hockey: 8-year-old Matthias
We never had much spare money in my family but there was enough for a skipping rope. My brother used it before me, but it never wore out. Luckily, we can get out onto the roof of our walk-up building, so whatever the weather, I go up there every day and skipped. When I get tired of studying, it takes my mind off the exams and I always feel better afterwards. Sometimes I skip in the park, and that’s how I found other kids my age who also love skipping. It’s not exactly a team sport, but sometimes we get a long rope and two of us take turns to swing it while one of us skips. We can stay socially distanced. Nobody ever stops us. We never need facilities or expensive equipment and even during Covid, we could keep going. The senior citizens on the park benches watch us and clap. It’s lovely and makes you feel part of your home neighbourhood.
Project Wind
Football: 18-year-old Curry I’ve loved playing football since I was little kid. When I started playing with HKFYG, I was in Secondary 4. My social worker encouraged me to join the team through Project Wind* which helped us with coaching and buying training materials. Our coach taught us strategies and tactics and how to really observe the match as a whole, identifying the best teammate to pass the ball to.
Once, our team took on professional footballers and that was really unforgettable. We were so scared and thought we would lose by seven or eight goals, but in the end we only lost by two or three. During half time, our coach told us not to be afraid because we could still play well. He was right. We stopped worrying and in the second half, we really did play quite well. It was a friendly match and I learned that by just playing at our own pace we could find a way. It was a lesson helps for daily life as well. Don’t be scared or hasty, try to think and stay steady.
You share the happiness or the sadness with your teammates. You are not alone.
The most valuable thing for me was meeting good friends in the team. We learned together and grew together, I treasure the friendships so much. Now I am studying accounting at Poly U and so I play in university team, but I will keep trying to play with the Federation team as well. No matter whether you win or lose, you share the happiness or the sadness with your teammates. You are not alone.
Thai boxing: 20-year-old Man-hong I started Thai boxing in 2019 with Project Wind.* Before that, I was a fat boy who just played football with my friends. When I was in my last few years of secondary school, my principal was very keen to arrange different activities for students. There were many options and the school joined hands with NGOs like HKFYG. I met a social worker who introduced me to Thai boxing. Until then, I believed all boxing involved trying to hit people on the head. So when I first did Thai boxing, it was a real surprise. Instead of being violent, we all learned how to control our strength, know the rules and recognize the limits.
We all learned how to control our strength, know the rules and recognize the limits. I have learned so many lessons from Thai boxing that I can use in daily life. Endurance, for example. You get tired in and sometimes you feel pain, but you just keep going. When I face difficulties in daily life, I can now do the same, just persevere.
In my first match, I was so nervous and joked, “please don’t hit me too hard!” In fact, when the other student hit me on the nose and I started to bleed, I wasn’t scared but try to hit back, within the rules of course. That was a really unforgettable moment. I’m a third-year student now in Aging Studies. I do show competitions sometimes where the aim is not really to win but to help others understand the sport. In future, I want to try to enter a real competition.
* For more on Project Wind see pages 29-30
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Youth and coaches speak December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Professional lacrosse coach, Kei, 27, works with the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association “I hope to promote sports culture in the community, especially for children who are at the right age for developing both physically and mentally as a result of sports participation,” says Kei. When he trains youngsters, he tells them, “Taking part is more important than anything else. Winning is just a by-product.” Kei also says he has learned a lot about himself as a result of being a coach. “I have become more patient. I love encouraging children and being friends with them.”
An opportunity to explore the community, see how young people interact with each other and understand better the kind of coaching they need.
Kei’s coaching skills brought him to CTS. “It gave me an opportunity to explore the community, see how young people interact with each other nowadays and understand better the kind of coaching they need. Working with CTS has also shown me that I need more training myself, in how to deal with challenging situations in class, how to manage time and class discipline. It will mean I can design a course for the kids according to best practice.” Dodgeball coach, Bak-lam, works for the Dodgeball Association Hong Kong, China
To learn something about the values of sports. That’s more important than victory. “My main goal is to make dodgeball popular and let more people see what fun it can be. Of course, in sports competitions, everyone wants to win but I think it is more important to take part, to be able to learn something about the values of sports. That’s more important than victory.” Bak-lam has seen how participating has changed the exercise habits of some of the young people she has coached. “I believe that maybe in the future this small group of people might become a large group of people, and then spread what they have learned in the community. Several of them were physically inactive before. Take me, for example. I discovered dodgeball at primary school. Since then, I have learned perseverance and the ability to face setbacks and I want to pass on what I know about dodgeball to the public in general.” 10
Ryan Lam, ice hockey coach works for the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association “Safety and enjoyment are the most important parts of my coaching,” says Ryan. “I want many people to learn how to play ice hockey and CTS opens up opportunities for those who are interested but don’t have enough money. I tell the players that winning always comes second to taking part. It’s a very expensive sport, so not everyone can try.”
Ryan has been playing ice hockey for about 20 years and has been a coach for nearly as long. “Why did I choose this sport? Because it is fun and exciting and I want to share what I know about it with lots of others.”
CTS opens up opportunities.
Sports mileage sponsorship scheme This project sponsors grassroots youths to receive sports training. Anyone can join the scheme and keep a record of the hours they spend doing a sport of their choice. Maybe you play badminton or tennis. Perhaps you swim lengths at your local pool. Every hour you record count for your “Sports Mileage” record and helps someone less privileged than you get free training. Every 400 hours recorded means 8 students get a free class For example spikeball, sailing, dodgebee, wing-surfing, football, running, basketball, ice hockey, lacrosse and dodgeball Sponsor free training courses for grassroots youths Enquiries 3611 6670 or 3108 4668 Your mileage counts! Help others with your Sports Mileage Go to cts.hkfyg.hk/sportsmileage/and record your mileage
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Perspectives December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Positive sports coaching
H
ong Kong’s men’s windsurfing representative at the 1996 Games, Sam Wong Tak-sum, partner of Olympic star, Lee Lai-shan, offers insight on how positive coaching can make a vital difference between giving up, winning and losing, especially for kids with few advantages in life. Where does positive coaching have its roots? More than 20 years ago, the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) was founded at Stanford University in the US. The overemphasis on winning and losing at that time was causing some teenagers to lose interest in sport. After indepth research, PCA created a series of training methods that emphasized hard work instead of medals, allowing for mistakes and learning from them. PCA also established training methods to connect young athletes, coaches and their parents in a positive triangle relationship.
What are some examples of positive coaching in sport? In team sports, we watch to see that every student is working hard and among them, we notice how Player A, who is good at the game, wants to share his ideas because he cares about his teammates and wants to help them. All team members benefit from this kind of team spirit, so a positive coach would encourage Player A. His parents would also appreciate the praise he got and offer more positive reinforcement. This process gradually becomes internalized as team members who care and have good teamwork are recognized and appreciated.
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Why do you think it is important for young Hong Kong athletes? I have been doing this kind of coaching for seven years and I can see that in Hong Kong today, as in the US in the past, parents often think that sports are only important for the prizes that can be won. In fact, in addition to prizes, there are many ways in which sport develops character in young people, during both training and competitions. Building a positive sports culture by using sport as a platform to cultivate positive values and good character among young people: that’s what is important.
What have been the most outstanding outcomes of positive coaching, in your experience? After doing several workshops with parents, I can see how their perception of children playing sports can change completely. Instead of just focusing on winning and losing, they appreciate the children’s efforts and see how this brings benefits. This kind of result is what a positive coach most wants to see.
Levelling the playing field Judy Kong Ka-wai, Chief Executive of the InspiringHK Sports Foundation, talks about boosting social mobility and inclusion through sports in Hong Kong. Findings of a study they conduced with the University of Hong Kong show how physically inactive Hong Kong youth are, despite the many benefits of sports. Inspiring stories of young people who have enjoyed sports training and mentorship show that great strides can still be made despite inequalities and both gender and ethnic barriers.
What would you say are the main values of sport for the InspiringHK Sports Foundation (IHKSports)? We believe in the underlying spirit of sport. Quite apart from the health benefits of exercise, it encourages a positive mindset and teamwork. It also widens young people’s view of the world. They learn about their community too and that promotes social mobility and inclusion. One of our sports is running. It’s a great way to discover your neighbourhood!
Which other sports are included in your classes? We run 41 classes across 19 different sports. They include badminton, football, hockey, lacrosse, rope skipping and rugby. We also like to promote new or emerging sports like dodgebee, kabadi and Tchoukball. They need only simple equipment and have few rules so are more inclusive across all age groups.
Who can participate? We cater for both boys and girls from all backgrounds and nationalities and the fees are low: just HK$500 a year to join 40 one-hour sessions. Girls are underrepresented in sports in Hong Kong and we emphasize gender equality so we have a special focus on them. We are very inclusive, with minority and LGBT groups as well as special educational needs children.
How do you find venues? It’s not easy. We tend to offer training in sports that are easy to organize in multisport venues. Recently, because of success at the Olympics, fencing has become very popular. Demand is relatively easy to satisfy because we just need a suitable space. Although there are plenty of good facilities throughout Hong Kong, over-cautious attitudes about opening up school campuses to the general public mean they are underused. Even in Singapore and mainland China, there is less exclusivity than here.
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Interviews December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
How might this problem be solved? Perhaps in future the government could work more directly with big organizations such as the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and the Po Leung Kuk to arrange more open access to their many school sports facilities. Similarly, international schools can be invited to participate if provided with suitable incentives. What is lacking now is motivation.
Can you tell us about some young people who show how well your efforts on behalf of inclusion have paid off? Let’s choose three examples. Kei-wan, Manyeung and Sadia. Born in Pakistan, Sadia is a Muslim Hongkonger, a fluent Cantonesespeaker who learned to swim with us when she was 16. Her parents worried about dress code because of her religion but IHKSports supplied a full-body, long-sleeved swimsuit and a female coach to help persuade them. Now Sadia says, “My coach not only taught me to swim, a survival skill, she also taught me other lessons in life so I can overcome other challenges.
Man-yeung suffers from ADHD. He was labelled as a troublesome boy at school with no self-control who frightened teachers and classmates. He began doing Taekwondo at IHKSports after years of inactivity and video game addiction. Nevertheless, with close monitoring by his coaches, he slowly responded to a personal touch and learned how to show respect for others through the martial arts. Now he knows how to direct his negative energy. Although he doesn’t stand out in a crowd, he stands up for others who suffer from discrimination and reflects all the efforts made by his coaches and parents. Then there is Kei-wan, a teenage fencer. The equipment was too expensive for his family but a IHKSports partnership with his school made it possible for him to start learning. Within a year, he was invited to join the school team, but his mother stopped him, worried that his grades would suffer. He persevered anyway, using chopsticks and pens to imitate the training movements but it wasn’t until his IHKSports coach gave him free lessons that he really began to shine. Since then, nothing has stopped him and now he hopes to become a coach himself. He says, “No matter the adversity, the joy cancels out the pain.”
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Would you say parents’ attitudes to sports participation are changing?
Coaches must be very influential as well. Can you empower them too?
We hope so, perhaps as an after-effect of Hong Kong’s success at the Olympics, but also as awareness of the risk of child obesity grows. Parental involvement is the goal of our SportsHour campaign with families and schools. Parents play a very important role in their children’s attitudes but many of them do no sport themselves. We can see how motivating parents can be by looking at the Olympic stars who grew up in sporty households and hope to change parents’ outlook on sports at school and careers in sports.
This year, we set up the online IHKSports Coaching for Youth Academy. It’s a resource platform for educators. Currently, we have 150 freelance coaches but we need more. They act as role models for the children. However, there is no centralized registration system for licensing coaches in Hong Kong and we lack female coaches in particular. We are inclusive as far as language of instruction is concerned and Cantonese is not essential. After all, sport has its own global language!
Participation and the SportsHour campaign The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-high intensity physical activities daily for 5–17-year-olds. However, the results of a research project called the "SportsHour Participation Index”, commissioned by IHKSports with the University of Hong Kong, indicate that only 5% of the 8-15-year-olds in Hong Kong meet the 1-hour guideline on weekdays and only 23.7% on weekends. Furthermore, girls are three-times less active than boys. From the age of 15, sports participation in teenagers plummets even further. When asked about the reasons for their inactivity, 60% said they lacked time and had too much homework.
The InspiringHK Sports Foundation charity was founded in 2012 with a vision of developing better youth through sports. It promotes social mobility, gender equality, social inclusion and a healthy lifestyle. CE, Judy Kong Ka-wai, developed her connection with youth work during her first job at HKFYG. “It taught me to put youth first. I also learned that to make things happen depends not only on passion but on a having a professional attitude and good planning skills.”
Photos courtesy of interviewee
“The Level Playing Field” is a collection of young people’s stories published by IHKSports that reflects the many ways in which their work has changed young lives. Read more www.inspiringhk.org
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Interviews December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Tackling rugby
and winning against the odds l Rugby, like most team sports, was brought to Hong Kong by the British and originally local players won through teamwork, strategy and speed, says Gai Wu Vice-Chair, Feimei Leung who is also a player and youth manager.
l 本地女子欖球組織「雞糊欖球會」副主 席兼欖球員梁巧盈表示，欖球由英國人 傳入，本地球員以往憑藉團隊精神、策 略及速度取勝。
l Chairman, Andy Pong, says his club’s founding goal was to bring local Chinese and Eurasian people into the formerly exclusively expat game.
l 球會主席龐富升表明，球會成立的目的 是讓更多本地華人參與這項由外籍人士 人主導的運動。
l They both say that parental support in physical education is very important, especially in Hong Kong where academic results usually come before other development paths for a child.
l 兩位均表示，父母的支持，對青年投入 運動發展非常重要，尤其不少父母重視 子女的學業成績先於其他範疇的發展。
Founded in 1987 by a small group of Eurasian and local Chinese including former Chairman, John Greene, Gai Wu’s goal has always been to promote rugby to local Hong Kong Chinese people. "Back then, we as Chinese players would achieve victory against the bigger expat teams by using our teamwork, strategy and speed,” says Vice-Chairlady Fei-mei.
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In sport, people discover qualities such as respect for others and teamwork that they cannot learn from books.
Against the odds, Gai Wu became the first all-Asian rugby club to get membership of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union which now fully supports it as a premiership club. Getting recognition was important, but what mattered most, says current Chairman, Andy Pong, was playing, not just competing. “Our culture focuses on playing the game as a team, supporting each other as a family.”
learned from experience, having been sent away to a tough Scottish boarding school as a rebellious teenager. Did the overseas schooling work out well? “It let me discover my passion,” he says, “playing hockey and rugby.”
“Playing definitely comes first,” Andy continues, as well as finding out what you are good at. “In sport, people discover qualities such as respect for others and teamwork that they cannot learn from books.” Andy
While recognizing that many parents put academic results first, he emphasizes that sport provides young people with a very important outlet for energy but is also a way to vent frustration. “Like I did, they can find release through sport,”
says Andy. Being active physically has a psychological effect. “It works on the brain and reduces anxiety and negativity.” As Fei-mei explains, “It’s very important to get parents’ support.” Training takes place on Thursday nights and weekends and matches are on Sunday. It’s not hard to imagine the concern parents might feel, given all the homework Hong Kong students are given and having to go to school the next day, but Gai Wu teaches more than rugby. It also shows the young players how important time management is. “When parents hesitate, I call them and I invite them to come and see the training in action as well as the competitions,” Fei-mei goes on. “When they actually see how much the training means to their kids, they are usually fine with it and let them keep coming.” One boy with a learning and mental disability stands out in Andy’s memory. “He was 14 when he started rugby and it gave him a sense of purpose. Even his younger brother, who had been embarrassed by him in the past, was so impressed. It brought the family together because rugby gave this young boy an outlet to show a natural talent.” Watching the boy play was a revelation. Every classic move came easily to him, as if he had been playing for years. “His confidence grew massively, and seeing this, his mother wept with joy.” Young people interested in learning rugby can join the club from the age of 15 onwards, but there is no upper age limit. “Even older people can learn touch rugby where there is no physical tackling,” says Andy. “We have
p Andy Pong and Fei-mei Leung, Gai Wu Chairman and Vice-chairlady
a various ways of recruiting players,” explains Fei-mei. “We do demos and promotions in different primary and secondary schools, including international schools.” Andy admits that there is a lot of pure physicality in rugby, especially in the men’s teams, and that contact sports like this, while offering a very real way of releasing tension, may not suit everyone. “Our girl players are better at communication while they play. They are good listeners, they talk more and are a bit more careful when reading the game. We are well known for our achievements with girls. They have reached the top in both the Sevens and the 15-a-side teams and over the years we have developed many girl players who have joined the Hong Kong national teams.” Gai Wu’s multicultural, approach is another winner and regardless of the background of the players, the philosophy is always to focus first on enjoyment and fun. “Once you enjoy your sport, good performance will come naturally,” stresses Andy. The club management is all based on volunteers, like Andy himself. “Only the coaches get paid and they keep their fees very low for us, especially because many of them are our alumni,” says Fei-mei. That’s one reason they can charge so little for training “Just HK$450 a year for youth members and HK$700 for student members.” 17
Interview December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Photos courtesy of Gai Wu
Gai Wu: Facts and figures ● The origin of the name Gai Wu is a mah jong term that means winning against the odds. ● Over half the club’s members are girls or ladies. ● Teams at different performance levels include the Gai Wu Falcons, Gai, Wu Fawkes and Gai Wu Hawks, Gai Wu Blaze and Gai Wu Flame, as well as a Japanese Team Gai Wu Blossoms ● In every normal, pre-pandemic year, they would play in up to 20 matches with an end-of-season play-off for the grand championship title.
Give it a try
“There was no women’s rugby when I first did a rugby summer school at the age of 20 but I knew some of the male players at Gai Wu. It was hard to find a coach to begin with because the men thought it would be difficult to teach us. It was true that we didn’t have the same foundation as boys who learned when they were young. My message to girls is “Don’t be afraid. Persist and work hard. You can always get up again if you fall down.”
● Training takes place mainly in the dedicated training ground in Happy Valley.
Read more facebook.com/GaiWuRugby
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Candy Yiu, Gai Wu founding member, talks about her life with rugby
From
player to entrepreneur
by Jacky Lau
l Building a company is never easy and the sports industry presents many hurdles.
l 運動產業的發展正面對許多障礙，要建立一所公司也 絕非易事。
l This young basketball entrepreneur succeeded because of sound business acumen, useful networking and a timely business model that optimized the use online platforms.
l 年輕籃球企業家劉卓晨成功的原因，在於擁有精明的 商業頭腦、良好的人脈關係，以及採取合時的商業模 式，並能夠善用網上平台進行宣傳。
l He now runs four companies and it all started because he was being badly treated as a referee.
I left school when I was 19. I used to skip classes at school and got bad results, but I knew a lot about sport, especially basketball. That was when I started to think about a career in sport, maybe as a coach or a referee. It was a turning point for me. I had four goals. They involved coaching, refereeing, running my own business and investing the profits in the company. To begin with, I began refereeing for private club matches and interschool competitions, but I was badly paid. I only got about HK$160 to HK$200 and had to work in some rough areas. After one match, I got beaten up, but the club didn’t care, even though they knew all about it. They didn’t help me to call the police or anything. I was really disappointed. That was in 2014 when I got together with a group of other refs who like me were all freelancers or part timers. We decided to form a new basketball league and organize matches where the referees would get protection. That was the start of my company, Palsportshk which was for basketball refereeing and coaching. Building up your own team and getting experience are the priorities in these areas. Qualifications are not
l 以往他擔任比賽裁判時的待遇甚差，讓他決定自發籌 組四間公司。
a must. My first job as a coach was at the YMCA and after that I put a small basketball club together with young players. Facebook was good for promotion and fitted my business model, attracting teenagers who would otherwise have gone to a traditional club. In the first year, I coached seven nights a week and worked on competition management during the day but I also realized that coaches in Hong Kong have too few resources. They have passion but not sponsorship, nor the skills with which to bargain and persuade. So that’s why I decided to start up a second company BALLLIFEHK (“ 籃壇 ”) a PR firm for sport. I was 25 and that’s when I became an entrepreneur. First, I took business management courses in Taiwan and then in Malaysia. I learnt how to write a proposal with sound finance knowledge. I also learnt the importance of forming a good team. My target was to find more resources and sponsors so I went to the chambers of commerce and contacted various brand name manufacturers to make my pitch and ask for sponsorship. I also began doing online promotions for sport teams.
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Perspectives December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Now hkballlife holds 150 competitions a month and for each competition I need people to work on networking and promotion, organizing venues and referees and finding support workers for the venues. Luckily, I met a partner who could lead the team with me, a friend from school. We have faced some big financial challenges. The biggest was during the social unrest when the protests meant many sudden changes in bookings and last-minute cancellations. At the time, our club had 300 basketball teams signed up for our league matches. We were the second largest in the field and we lost HK$1 million. There was no money for any salaries and I had to call the staff one by one to say sorry. I felt so embarrassed. I was also about to get married but I ran out of money. I asked my future wife if she really wanted to go ahead and in the end, the family gave us financial support. Now I am 31 and have four different companies, for event management, for PR, for sportswear (MTSPORTSWEAR) and for school uniforms (MTSchoolUniform). The uniform company was formed because we needed more stable income and by then I had a partner in the manufacturing industry. Now we have 10 full time staff and are considering merging all four companies into one.
For the future, my own vision and that of my partners differ. They would like to focus on earning enough money to retire, but I want to contribute more to sports and help the industry develop. I hope we might be the biggest in the field and become a listed company, but that may be too ambitious. Sport and business are so different in nature. In business, you have to compromise and most sportspeople are not interested in that.
The world has changed since the era of specialized professionalism. Now, to succeed, you need to be multiskilled as well as driven.
It has been tough during the two years of the pandemic. Events were cancelled and many sports clubs closed. I had to call all the teams and promise we would rerun the competitions after pandemic. If those teams had withdrawn from the club, the company might have faced financial collapse right then. Luckily no team withdrew, we have a good reputation and they trusted us. That’s very important for a business. The stadiums reopened a few months ago with the vaccination campaign and the Leave Home Safe app so we restarted the league matches. Still, there was no pay for any of the partners. Only recently have we begun pulling in some income.
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I am thinking about getting out of Hong Kong and developing the company on the mainland and in European markets, perhaps with a sportswear app for international use. But I also want to scale up the local business and become a big brand name here. The world has changed since the era of specialized professionalism. Now, to succeed, you need to be multiskilled as well as driven, especially in the sports industry. Having influence, both within the industry and with your target customers - young people - is essential. Jacky Lau's four companies are: - BALLLIFEHK 籃壇 - PALSPORTSHK 毅聯 - MTSPORTSWEAR 銘天 - MTSchoolUniform 銘天校服
Extra-curricular sports edited by Lakshmi Jacota l Seven parents talk about their attitudes to sport for school-aged children.
l 七位家長分享他們對學童參與課餘體育活 動的看法。
l Opinions are divided, but a focus on school work as a top priority is predominant among those who are against.
l 他們各持不同意見，反對者大多認為學童 應將學業放在首位。
l Among those who speak for the values of sport, the arguments for its character-building function and its usefulness as an outlet for both energy and for social bonding are convincing.
l 支持者認為參與體育活動能夠提升個人品 德和質素、強健體魄，以及拓展社交圈子。
Against Jennifer has two girls aged 8 and 10 I don’t want my children doing any after school sports. Even before the Covid pandemic, I was never a great supporter of the idea of my children getting involved in sports. Now, with all the rules and regulations about social distancing and basic safety and hygiene, I feel vindicated, especially since you hear so little talk about how the lack of sports has ruined children’s lives. Actually, I have always considered sport to be something that should be left to those with talent and those who wish to become professionals. I know my children are not in this league, and so why should they waste their time on sports?
First of all, there is a big-time commitment when getting involved in any kind of sporting activity. There is regular training, usually after school and in the evenings. Then there are tournaments which generally take place at weekends. Some of these tournaments can be all-day affairs that leave the children exhausted on what should be their rest days. With so much time taken up by sports, when will they get their homework done, or be able to attend extra classes for school subjects that they are struggling in? I think out-ofschool sports are a luxury that should really not be imposed on parents or children. They should be left to those who are good at sport or take a serious interest in them.
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Perspectives December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Victoria has a son aged 12 I tend to be ambivalent about sports on the whole. It seems to me to be a waste of time when my child could be doing something far more interesting, like learning a new language or instrument, or even strengthening their understanding of school subjects. I don’t want him learning things like baseball or rugby. What for? They can be dangerous. On the other hand, I know exercise is supposed to be good for health so I don’t mind him being active.
Alice has two sons aged 11 and 13 I already have to spend so much money on extra tuition so that my children can remain at the top of their class and also to be competitive. Where – or better still, why – would I waste my money on putting them into some extra sports classes? They already have PE within their school curriculum and when we go out as a family on the weekends, sometimes even to hike, I think they get more than enough exercise. Plus, they are boys, they always seem active and engaged. I don’t think more sport is what they really need as an extra in their lives.
Some of these tournaments leave the children exhausted on what should be their rest days. Philip has a son and daughter aged 7 and 10 respectively My wife and I are not very sporty and, in fact, both of us hated compulsory sports when we were at school. I believe that exercise and being active are important for children, but I also believe that what they are expected to do in school PE lessons is already quite enough. I do not think it is necessary to send the children for extra sports. It is not because of the expense or even the time, we just think it is not something that will enhance their lives in any way. Right now, my son does keep insisting that he wants to join a team, but only because of his friends. We tell him his friends can come over to play anytime; they don’t just have to meet through organised sports.
FOR Kiran has a boy and a girl aged 17 and 18 respectively I never learnt how to swim and was insistent that my children had to learn. The first class I put them in was when they were about four and five. They absolutely loved it! As they got bigger and better, they began to take part in extra training and competitions. The interesting thing is, that once they got to school, they began playing other games and taking part in other sporting activities. The swimming got them started. They were often chosen for school teams and this encouraged them - and me to find outside classes or clubs where they could hone their skills and get better. My son chose basketball and football, while my daughter took to rugby and tennis. These interests were entirely their own and I am glad that they had the opportunity to expand their abilities.
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They found ways to fit in their school work. There are so many positive things to say about sports. Apart from learning how to work in teams; how to win and lose gracefully; how to be respectful and kind. I found that sports actually also taught them time management skills. They both knew the exact amount of time that was required for their training and tournaments, and they found ways to fit in their school work around that. This well-defined sense of discipline will, I believe, stay with them throughout their lives. They also found sport to be a mental de-stresser and a social outlet too. This meant opportunities for them to meet a range of children from different schools, clubs and
economic backgrounds. I would always recommend parents to encourage their children to play sports or do some kind of physical activity outside school. The earlier the better.
Connie has two boys aged 11 and 14 My boys have so much energy. I think that if there weren’t involved in sports, they would have torn the house apart! I think sport is a great way for them to get rid of excess energy, especially as they are cooped up in a classroom for most of the day. Sport gives them the chance to be outdoors, to be physical and to learn good values. Fundamentally, sport is character-building. Both my boys play a number of sports, but unfortunately, due to the reality of the Hong Kong academic world, they can really only choose one sport to focus on as an extracurricular activity outside school. Both boys chose hockey, although they play other games at school as well. Perhaps because their school didn’t offer hockey or perhaps they just saw something on TV. Whatever it was, it was something new for us as parents, but we decided to encourage their interest. Both boys turned out to be pretty good and the enjoyment that they get out of their hockey has made them much calmer, more disciplined and - I believe - well rounded. I would never sacrifice their studies for sports. But at the same time, if they showed real talent, I would do everything in my power to ensure that they didn’t give up the game they seem to love.
Fundamentally, sport is character-building, but I would never sacrifice their studies for sports. Eva has two boys aged 13 and 15 My sons love sports, whether it’s watching, playing or cheering. I enrolled them in sporting activities even before they started primary school. First swimming, then mini soccer and even mini rugby. They enjoyed all of it. Once they got to school, they lost interest in rugby, but continued with soccer, although the younger one loved tackling the other kids! My older son also began to take his swimming very seriously about four years ago and now gets up early every day and goes for training before school. It is quite a brutal regimen, but he won’t give up. Perhaps watching Hong Kong’s success in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics has given him something to aim for! Whatever the reason, I see how sports has given them both perspective and focus. I am not sure if they would have had this without the discipline and sense of respect for others that sports give them.
They learned how to work in teams; how to win and lose gracefully; how to be respectful and kind. 23
Perspectives December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Fair competition
the transgender issue by Tiffany Tiu
Transgender participation in sport has drawn increasing attention as more and more transgendered athletes are entering competitions. Some fear that competition may no longer be fair, particularly in women’s sports, if a former biological man competes against biological women, taking podium positions, athletic scholarships, and replacing females’ records. Others advocate inclusivity in sports and respect for all athletes irrespective of identity. Sports should be for all. There is no doubt about the importance and benefits of sports participation.1 Further, trans rights are equal to men’s and women’s rights, and none of these rights are less than human rights, including the right to participate in the cultural life of the community.2 Everyone should enjoy the opportunity to compete. That said, the controversy lies in competitive sports, where athletes train to compete against one another in a regulated environment, and where winning or losing matter greatly for careers. The debate on transgender inclusion in sports is centered particularly on transwomen (individuals who transitioned from being a male). Opponents to inclusivity frequently cite the fairness argument, which can be represented in the following premises: Premise 1: Competition should be as fair as possible. Premise 2: Biological males have an unfair physical advantage over biological females and transwomen are biological males.
Logically speaking, the conclusion that follows is that it is unfair for competitive sports to pit transwomen against ciswomen. Are the premises valid and sound? Can we avoid the conclusion? Premise 1: Competition should be as fair as possible. According to UNESCO, fairness is one of the values of sport.3 But what is fairness in this context? Some argue that no competition is fair because some people are gifted with genetic advantages. Because no competition is truly fair, fairness is arbitrary and hence does not matter. However, this argument is not constructive to the discussion and is unrealistic about how sports operate. There are reasons why competition is segregated by age, sex, abilities, and sometimes by weight. While there are inherent advantages or natural endowments that some possess, we still consider current competition to be fair. Indeed, fairness does not, and cannot mean being equal in every single aspect imaginable. It is, therefore, more constructive to ponder at what point the advantage crosses the line from inevitable and acceptable to avoidable and unacceptable. [*See editor’s note.] Unfairness is where an advantage is intolerable and sufficiently morally troublesome to warrant elimination.4 It is sensible to say that competition should not be unfair, such that athletes would consider the pursuit of winning is worthwhile, and that the pursuit is far from hopeless. This should keep the athlete motivated to dedicate time and effort to their sports despite some differences between the competitors. With this in mind, let’s evaluate premise 2.
*A cis woman is defined as an adult who was assigned female at birth and whose gender identity is female.The prefix means “on this side of” and is derived from Latin.
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l Discussion on transgender issues in sport is complex and polarized.
l 體育中有關跨性別議題的討論是複雜而且容易偏向兩 極化的。
l It centres on fairness while assuming that inclusivity is the goal.
l 公平競爭是運動的核心價值，同時也有人認為運動需 要具有包容性。
l The author proposes various options that might achieve this while accepting that no solution will please all.
l 就此，作者雖然提出不同建議，但也同意沒有一個方 案能夠滿足所有人。
Premise 2: Biological males have an unfair physical advantage over biological females and transwomen are biological males. The performance gap between biological males and females in various sports is undeniable: 11-13% in rowing, swimming, and running, >20% in sports that involve extensive upper body contributions, and 3137% in weightlifting.5 Males are physically more capable because of hormonal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular respiratory physiology differences. No amount of training nor fitness regimen could allow the best female athletes to compete meaningfully with males at the same level and that’s why we have men’s sport and women’s sport. Are transwomen biological males? The biological sex of a person is defined by genetic, chromosomal, gonadal, hormonal, and phenotypic (including genital) characteristics,6 all of which are, by definition, binary: either male or female. Gender is a self-identified social construct that expresses a person’s experience and feelings about their gender role,7 although it is inherently related to biology.8 Transgender people are those who experience a different gender from that assigned at birth.9 Transwomen, especially those who transitioned after puberty, possess male biological characteristics. Although testosterone can be suppressed with ongoing hormonal therapy, the biological traits (genetics) and the male physique that come from going through male puberty do not disappear with transition. The fact that transwomen are biological males cannot be interpreted otherwise.
Do transwomen have an unfair physical advantage against ciswomen? Joanna Harper, a transwoman athlete, scholar and advocate advisor to the Olympic Committee on Gender and Sport attested, “There's absolutely no question in my mind that transwomen will maintain strength advantages over cis women, even after hormone therapy,”10 There is no doubt that transwomen will lose some physical advantage after going through transition. Yet, a study found that mean muscle mass in transwomen after a year of cross-sexual treatment remained significantly higher compared to transmen.11 Should this kind of athletic advantage that transwomen have over ciswomen be considered unfair and intolerable, or fair and tolerable? This is a question for you to consider. Opinion on this question is diverse, as are the proposed ways to mitigate what is considered an unfair or unnatural advantage. Through finding ways to maintain the fairness of competition between transwomen and ciswomen, the logical conclusion of the argument can be avoided, and transwomen could be included in competitive sports. Moving forward One option is strict segregation according to biological sex so that women don’t have to worry about competing against the physical advantage of transwomen. But this may discourage some transwomen from competing at all if they cannot identify with their competitors. Furthermore, this creates another controversy because 25
Perspectives December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
transmen are biological women, but some may have taken hormone therapy to increase their testosterone level so that they can develop masculine characteristics. A second option is a separate category for trans athletes. However, there would be a small number of entries and meaningful competition would be difficult. Moreover, it is hard to find enough athletes to form a trans-only team for team sports so opportunities for trans athletes to compete would be limited.12 There could also be safety concerns in certain countries for openly transgendered persons. A third option is to have sport-specific regulations for trans athletes based on the sport-specific performance gaps between male and female summarized by Hilton and Lundberg.13 Different degrees of biological differences between males and females in different sports impact the fairness of transgender inclusion differentially. Thus, some sports may benefit from stricter regulations regarding trans athlete participation while others don’t. However, evidence-based regulations for each sport are needed to ensure fairness for both transgender and cisgender athletes and these would depend on further scientific research.
A fourth option is to replace the men’s division with an “open division” for which a transgender athlete could qualify if they are not able to participate in the women’s division due to unfair biological advantages. The distinction of categories would rest on abilities rather than gender identity. However, where to draw the line for qualification for such a division would be tricky. In conclusion, while transwomen possess biological advantages, questions regarding the nature of fairness and the point at which a physical advantage becomes unfair need further exploration. There should be more honest and civil conversations on how to meaningfully include trans athletes in competitive sports. Like all other controversial topics, there won’t be one satisfactory answer for all. But hopefully, with more research and empathy with trans athletes, the entire sports community can welcome their participation in competitive sports meaningfully and fairly.14
Scan for full version
Tiffany Tiu is a graduate in kinesiology and sports science from the University of Toronto.
Editor’s note This is an argument about the distinction between natural and non-natural enhancements in sport. A fundamental question, therefore, is whether transitioning to become a transgender person is an artificial or a natural event. Sources and notes 1. Tiu, Tiffany (2021). Sports: a must have for youth. Youth Hong Kong, 13(3), 36-37. 2. un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights 3. en.unesco.org/themes/sport-and-anti-doping/sports-values-education 4. Devine, J. W. (2019). Gender, steroids, and fairness in sport. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 13(2), 161-169. 5. Hilton, E. N., & Lundberg, T. R. (2021). Transgender women in the female category of sport: perspectives on testosterone suppression and performance advantage. Sports Medicine, 51(2), 199214.
10. webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20210715/do-trans-women-athletes-have-advantages 11. Gooren, L. J., & Bunck, M. C. (2004). Transsexuals and competitive sports. European Journal of Endocrinology, 151(4), 425-430. 12. wired.com/story/the-glorious-victories-of-trans-athletes-are-shaking-up-sports/
6. Handelsman, D. J., Hirschberg, A. L., & Bermon, S. (2018). Circulating testosterone as the hormonal basis of sex differences in athletic performance. Endocrine reviews, 39(5), 803-829.
13. Hilton, E. N., & Lundberg, T. R. (2021). Transgender women in the female category of sport: perspectives on testosterone suppression and performance advantage. Sports Medicine, 51(2), 199214.
7. Handelsman, D. J., Hirschberg, A. L., & Bermon, S. (2018). Circulating testosterone as the hormonal basis of sex differences in athletic performance. Endocrine reviews, 39(5), 803-829.
14. This article is not meant to be an exhaustive discussion of fairness or all the possible ways to include trans athletes in competitive sport. A fuller version can be found online at
8. The role of testosterone in gender development is well-established in research studies. See Hines, M. (2006). Prenatal testosterone and gender-related behaviour. European Journal of Endocrinology, 155(suppl_1), S115-S121.
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9. Jones, B. A., Arcelus, J., Bouman, W. P., & Haycraft, E. (2017). Sport and transgender people: a systematic review of the literature relating to sport participation and competitive sport policies. Sports Medicine, 47(4), 701-716.
Building community sports
O
ngoing efforts at HKFYG to promote community team sports are not only about fitness and training. They are also about encouraging young people to become more deeply embedded in their community. New developments see an emphasis on positive coaching as well as training for volunteers in even more sports that offer an inclusive introduction for all youth, no matter what their abilities.
Sports included so far:
Focusing on:
Encouraging:
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
● ● ● ● ●
● ● ● ● ●
Basketball Ice hockey Rope skipping Team running Canoeing Lacrosse Dodgeball
Physical and mental wellbeing Emphasizing holistic development Building positive skills and attitudes Developing team spirit Encouraging perseverance in success and challenge
Unanimity Motivation Innovation Fearlessness Persistence
Since it began in 2016, the Federation’s Community Team Sports programmes have come of age, with the first phase completed in 2019, new beginnings were created in 2020 which will take us through to 2023.
2016- 2019 PHASE 1 GOALS & FEATURES
The first phase of the HKFYG Jockey Club Community Team Sports (CTS) Project at HKFYG had four key components. They blended physical activity with community service, making it full of fun and special meaning. Community team sports league ● annual district competitions ● for nearly 1,200 teams ● 9,800 participants
Community team sports academy ● to offer training in fitness concepts and sports skills ● to build team spirit, self-discipline, sense of responsibility
● to provide professional coaches and trainers
The academy offered a wide range of training on various fitness concepts, sports skills, team spirit, self-discipline and a sense of responsibility.
Sportovation Community Service Scheme: Sports x Innovation This all year-round initiative encouraged youth volunteers to form teams and create change-making service projects. Sponsored projects are featured in exhibitions. Sports mileage mobile app ● For tracking sports activity and converting it into virtual“miles”
● “Miles” to be spent on sports lessons for underprivileged youth
This educational app aimed to encourage users to cultivate regular exercise habits, as well as participating in team sports and integrating with their community.
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HKFYG Services December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
2020-2023 PHASE 2 GOALS & FEATURES Now called the HKFYG Jockey Club Youth Sports Development Project, the Federation’s community team sports programmes took off again last year with a second phase consisting of four elements. Its inclusive approach encourages multi-faceted participation and brings those who are not keen on competitive sport themselves into the sporting arena with new roles to play.
Annual Competition Leagues
Two sports have been added to replace skipping and canoeing. The new emphasis is on lacrosse and dodgeball which is often popular among younger children.
Just as in Phase 1 of the project, competitive events for all five sports will take place every year. Dozens of teams are entering the leagues for basketball, ice hockey, team running, lacrosse and dodgeball.
Lacrosse is the oldest organized sport in North America. It was played in Canada as early as the 17th century. Hong Kong is keen to play in the next Olympics with a new six-a-side format – faster and more open than the traditional game and played by both men and women.
Coach training with positivity To make sure our thousands of competitors are at top of their performance curve, training will be on offer as usual for all the five sports. This time there will be an added extra: training in positive coaching. It improves performance and promotes wellbeing. See page 12 for more details.
Read more hklax.org/load.php?id=498679
Dodgeball is on the rise in Hong Kong and it came into the limelight in 2018 when a Hong Kong girls’ team made it to the Dodgeball World Cup Finals in Madison Square Garden, New York. The aim of the game: dodge the ball that your opponent throws at you.
Volunteer training
View some acrobatic performances at youtube.com/watch?v=IOWzFcinqFA
More details cts.org.hk 28
Training in sports volunteering suits young people who already have enough testing in this pressured world. Instead of competing themselves, they discover ways of helping others, whether by distributing food and drink to marathon runners or helping special needs children find a niche on a level playing field. Volunteers like this were in hot demand this month when HKFYG Youth SPOTs saw the inaugural 21-hour run around all Hong Kong’s 18 districts with calls at all 21 HKFYG SPOTs.
Enquiries Lily or Katon
Tel 3611 6670
Project WIND l This sponsored outreach programme includes football, basketball and Thai boxing. l Youngsters aged 10-24 took part, some of whom discovered opportunities even though they were from troubled backgrounds. l Others found an outlet for energy and frustration through sports organized by the Federation’s Youth Crime Prevention Centre.
Positive psychology is Project Wind’s underlying concept. With its name reflecting the headwinds faced by many young people in Hong Kong, it has been providing chances for young people to enjoy sports that might otherwise be missing from their lives. In the process of training, they gain basketball, football and Thai boxing skills, as well as building self-confidence and a law-abiding attitude.
l 這項外展計劃獲得多方支持和贊助，為 青年提供足球、籃球和泰拳三種體育活 動。 l 一些年齡介乎 10 至 24 歲的本港青年， 在社工的介紹下參加了這個計劃。 l 部分則通過與青年違法防治中心聯繫， 找到了釋放能量和應對沮喪的方式。
Young people’s lives should be filled with learning opportunities and fun and memorable moments. Instead, some teenagers end up in the criminal justice system for committing offences. Some of those young people in conflict with the law come from troubled backgrounds and have emotional and behavioral problems. Their behaviour is a cry for help for a lack of motivation and role models in life. Others need an outlet for highspirited youthful energy. This project helps them all.
Five aims of three sports To enhance young people's ability to fight frustration and adversity To encourage perseverance against the odds To establish positive emotions, positive relationships and a positive sense of success
To help young people recognize their own value To improve communication skills and interpersonal relationships To encourage team spirit and personal growth To provide opportunities for youth to develop sports as potential careers
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HKFYG Services December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
BASKETBALL
Targeting Youngsters who have committed minor crimes and have been cautioned as part of the Police Superintendent’s Discretion Scheme* Mentors share their experience of daily life and demonstrate ways in which emotional control, selfdiscipline and hard work can improve conflict handling capacities.
THAI BOXING
FOOTBALL
Activities include training at school and advanced levels
With systematic football training that cultivates participants' interest in football skills while they learn to be law-abiding citizens
Targeting 10-24-year olds
With community giving back activities where volunteers make and distribute lunch and dinner
Targeting Adolescents aged 10-24
Upcoming January 2022: Community Giving Back Reunion Dinner
*Note A caution can be given under the Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme instead of prosecution in court.
Thanks for support in all three sports Partnered by the Rotary Club of Dragon
Hong Kong with corporate volunteers
Sponsored by K&K Charity General enquiries about Project Wind Email: tszching.pang@hkfyg.org.hk Tel: 2396 4711 30
Stanley camp is back
H
ead over to Stanley now to see the totally new look Federation camp at St. Stephen's Beach. Water sports plus experiential-learning are on offer as well as all-round wellness programmes.
With its natural backdrop and convenient access to heritage-rich Stanley with its good transport links, this is the go-to venue for Hong Kong Island watersports for the coming season. Facilities and services opening in December ● Watersports ● Day camp with land-based outdoors activities ● Cafeteria ● Lockers for day campers ● Washrooms with showers ● Roof top: open area with green wall Aims ● to building youth's awareness of natural ● to boost confidence in abilities ● to enhance communication and problem-solving ● to improve decision-making and leadership skills
With Watersports kayaking, standing up paddleboarding, water-based adventures on inflatables Green sustainability the “Stanley Story” guided tour and low carbon camping Land based team building through various experiential learning activities. Wellness through self-awareness with stress management, increased wellbeing and mindfulness Plus nature walks, mindful cooking and eating, mindful arts and sports Make reservations at the camp booking office: Tel 2395 5676 email camp@hkfyg.org.hk Accommodation In mid-2022 A multi-purpose dining hall and hostel services will offer simple, comfortable rooms and 80 dormitories including some with views over Stanley Bay. Renovations at the HKFYG Jockey Club Stanley Outdoor Training Camp were generously funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
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Youth watch December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Game on
sports around the world
F
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marie_Jos%C3%A9e_Ta_Lou_Rio2016.jpg
ootball is the most popular sport in the world. It originated in England, along with tennis, and cricket. Here are some facts and figures from some of the world’s biggest countries, about both their popular spectator and participation sports and the industry that supports them. Algeria: Africa’s largest country
In the last three Olympic Games, African athletes have won two-thirds of all the gold medals for running from 800m upwards. The rest of the world combined, with all its facilities and sports science, can’t come close to matching them.
p Marie Josée Ta Lou
Nevertheless, football is the most popular sport in Algeria, Africa’s largest nation by land area, as it is in many countries today. Algerian children and adults regularly play soccer for amusement in streets and parks. Algeria qualified to participate ian the World Cup championships in 1982 and 1986 and won Africa's Continental Championship in 1990.1 Algeria has competed at every summer Olympics since 1964, winning five gold medals, most of which were in athletics. Other popular sports are boxing, basketball, martial arts, volleyball and handball, a sport that is also dominant in other North African countries such as Egypt and Tunisia.2
Australia
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Match_Alg%C3%A9rie_ vs_Belgique,_Coupe_du_Monde_2014,_Br%C3%A9sil.jpg
Sport in Australia dates back to the early colonial period and has shaped the Australian national identity. The highest rates of participation for Australian sport and recreation are non-organized sports with cycling, skateboarding and rollerblading topping the list of activities for children, with 66% of all boys being cyclists and 54.4% of girls.
p Kaylee Rochelle McKeown
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The three most popular organized sports for boys are soccer, swimming and Australian rules football. For girls, they are swimming/diving and netball. Participation rates for adults in Australia are much lower than that of Australian children but it is one of five countries to have played in world cups of three different sports: cricket, soccer and rugby, along with England, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.3
Football is Brazil’s most popular sport and one of the most well-recognized players of all time, Pelé, was one of its top players. Volleyball is also very popular as are tennis, martial arts, basketball, and motor sports. Footvolley, a mix of football and volleyball was created in Brazil in the 1970s. Players must use their feet and head to get the ball over the net and onto the opponent's side. It is one of the most popular beach sports in Brazil. Footvolley started out with five players on each team but later got cut to two players on each team and is still so to this day. Mixed martial arts include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which originated in Brazil in the 1910s, and capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and music. It is a culturally significant sport, developed in colonial times by slaves and now seen internationally as well as in popular culture through computer games.
France: the European Union’s biggest country In the biggest European Union country, cycling and football are the most popular sports as well as rugby, basketball, handball, horse-riding and tennis. Golf, kayaking and sailing are also in France’s top ten. The most famous cycling event is the Tour de France, an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race. Even last year, when so many sporting events were cancelled, the Tour de 6 France was held as usual, albeit a month later than usual. A sport that is often thought to have originated in France but which in fact was created in Ancient Rome, is pétanque, actively played in many nations with histories of French colonial influence, especially in Southeast Asia. Today, some of the strongest 7 players in the world come from Madagascar and Thailand.
by Anders flic.kr/p/b9piJP
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brazil_and_Croatia_match_at_ the_FIFA_World_Cup_2014-06-12_(16).jpg
Brazil: South America’s largest country
p Richard Virenque
Hong Kong Swimming, badminton, basketball and football are among the most popular participant sports but the primary sport of Hong Kong has been 8 football since the beginning of the 20th century. Horse racing is by far the most popular spectator sport. Hong Kong first competed at the Olympic Games in 1952 and won its first medal in 1996. 2020 was a landmark Olympic year for the city when it won three bronze medals, two silvers and another gold when Edgar Cheung Ka-long became the champion fencer. Dragon boat racing began as a modern international sport in Hong Kong in the 1970s. The boats, originally made of teak and other hard woods resistant to rot, belong to a family of traditional paddled long boats found throughout Asia, Africa, the Pacific islands, and Puerto Rico. Modern boats are typically made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, and other lightweight materials. 33
Youth watch
India
Kabbadi, believed to have been invented in India, used to be an exclusively male sport, but is no longer. The Indian women's kabaddi team won over many hearts with a kind gesture during the 2014 Asian Games that were held in Incheon. When an Iranian player’s hijab came off, the Indian players quickly covered her face with their hands in a memorable moment of respect. Kabbadi is one of the rare sports that can 10 be played without any equipment. The rules are very simple as well.
p Mithali Raj
by Nardisoero commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File:Ponnappa_%26_Gutta.jpg
Cricket is India’s favourite sport followed by field hockey, football and badminton. Field hockey is the most successful sport for 9 India at the Olympic Games. The modern game of badminton has developed from an old children's game known in England as battledore and shuttlecock, a game popular in ancient India.
p Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta
Kazakhstan: the world’s largest landlocked country
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Schoolkids_doing_a_rugby_tackle.jpg
Once part of the Soviet Union, in Kazakhstan, football and rugby are very popular. The Kazakhstan Rugby Union was established in 1933. Kyz kuu, literally “girl chasing”, pictured, is a traditional equestrian sport popular among Kazakhs and other people of central Asia which is often referred to as the “kissing game.” Combat sports such as kazakh and freestyle wrestling, kickboxing, taekwondo, hand-to-hand fighting, judo and karate have been gaining popularity. Other mainstream sports include ice hockey, bandy - a winter sport team also played 11 on ice, speed skating, weightlifting and gymnastics.
by XIAOYU TANG commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Ma_Long_ATTC2017_29.jpeg
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Mainland China
p Ma Long
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p Peng Cheng and Jin Yang
by Harrias commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Mithali_Raj_Truro_2012.jpg
December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Team sports appeared in China only at the beginning of the 20th century. Table tennis, a sport that originated in England, is one of the biggest amateur recreational sports with an estimated 200 million players. Ma Long [pictured] is the first male player to complete a career Double Grand Slam as the Olympic gold medalist in men's singles in 2016 and 2020. Basketball, introduced to China by American YMCA workers in 1896, is the largest spectator sport and there are about 300 million basketball players in the country. Esports saw early growth in China despite concerns that video games were addictive.12 Thousands of Chinese children were sent for electroconvulsive
The most popular sport in Russia is football but ice hockey is second followed by handball, basketball, futsal, boxing, motor racing, volleyball, athletics and tennis. According to one survey, bandy, mentioned opposite for Kazakhstan, is the third most popular sport in Russia. Most of the modern rules were written in England but the Russians claim to be the inventors of the game, and indeed there were bandy-like games played in Russia before the modern rules were standardized. Rhythmic gymnastics is also considered one of Russia’s most popular sports. Evgenia Kanaeva has been three-time world champion and the first and only back-to-back gold medallist at the Olympic games.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Alexander_Semin_first_ goal_in_final_2008_IIHF_ World_Championship.JPG jpg
Russia
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US American football is the most popular spectator sport in the US, followed by baseball and basketball. The history of basketball began in Canada as a less injury-prone sport than football. Initially played in American colleges, the game became very popular around the world in the 20th century.15
p American football teams, Houston Texans tackled by Dallas Cowboys
In 2020, two gamechangers16 affected the US sports industry: the Covid-19 pandemic and the social justice movement. Strategies that address opportunities in this context include fan engagement, especially on social media and being active in addressing race, gender, and LGBT+ inequality and injustice.
Read more 1. algeria.com/activities/sport/ 2. afrikanza.com/blogs/culture-history/facts-about-algeria
therapy (ECT) by their parents at a centre which was closed down in 2016. By 2020, China accounted for 35% of global esports revenue and it is estimated that around 70% of China’s online population play video games.13 Government restrictions limit the time minors can play video games to one hour per day on weekends.14 Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics and figure skating ranks third in the list of sports in which China has won the most medals in past Games, after short track speed skating and freestyle skiing. Two of the stars of pairs figure skating are Cheng Peng and Yang Jin, pictured
3. onthegosports.com.au/blogs/news/the-10-most-popular-sports-in-australia 4. theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/the-5-most-popular-sports-in-brazil/ 5. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footvolley 6. french-iceberg.com/sports-in-france/ 7. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9tanque 8. Lam, S. F. Chang W, Julian. The Quest for Gold: Fifty Years of Amateur Sports in Hong Kong, 1947–1997. Hong Kong University Press, 2006. 9. kreedon.com/top-20-most-popular-sports-in-india/ 10. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_India 11. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_Kazakhstan 12. hybrid.co.id/post/gaming-esports-in-china 13. pinnacle.com/en/esports-hub/betting-articles/educational/esports-in-china/xzu2cyvju2a52e4h 14. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_games_in_China#Approvals_freeze_and_further_steps_to_ restrict_youth_gaming_(2018-ongoing) 15. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_United_States 16. www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/ sports-business-trends-disruption.htm
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Features December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Quarantine
stay fit, stay sane, stay healthy
T
wo to three weeks of hotel quarantine is now expected by most international arrivals in Hong Kong. How do they cope with being cooped up for so long?
Equipment and routines
36
Sam It’s a challenge. I took a separate room from my partner to maintain harmony. Variety was my other answer to staying sane. Music, aerobics, stretching, strength training, work, calisthenics, movies and reading: they all helped. Improvisation is another key. I had no equipment but I did 10,000 steps a day by moving furniture out of the way to maximize floor space and just striding around.
Michael I was quite lucky in that I had a Concept 2 bike and some weights delivered from home to my hotel room. I do a lot of weightlifting normally so I could maintain about 90% of my pre-quarantine strength. I gave myself kilometre and kilogram targets to hit, which I did. The bike was good as it tired me out so I could sleep easily. Sleeping can be problem for some people if they are not tired enough.
Yasmin Preparing for 21 days confined in a hotel meant making sure I was active both physically and mentally. A schedule was important to compartmentalize my routine. I had a yoga mat and blocks and I hired a walking pad. I combined these with watching educational videos and listening to podcasts and I joined a Zoom yoga group. I did about 10,000 steps a day. More than usual because I had more time and my exercise routines complemented one another, one for cardio fitness and the other for overall body and mind relaxation and stretching.
Joanne I was in quarantine with my partner and every
morning began with exercise. We rented an exercise bike and a yoga mat from our hotel and did online exercise classes. Our main goal was to keep physically and mentally active and we had lots of time to dedicate to this goal. The bike was a godsend, providing routine plus the challenge to ride further and at a harder level each day. We would definitely rent one again. Good music was also essential.
Health
Support needed Terri I did Pilates for core strength and yoga for calm and stretching as well as isometric exercises with bands. With all that sitting in small spaces for so long, I just didn’t want to let three meals a day and no movement ruin the wee bit of fitness I had to start with. My hotel provided mats and fitness bands: a great idea...the power of suggestion. The bands meant I could do moderate cardio and resistance work and none of the equipment took up much room. I could perform the exercises in a little more space than a yoga mat.
Joanne Daily, outdoor exercise time should be allowed,
Enrico I took my racing bike and a magnetic bike stand. It didn’t take up a lot of room and I did 1 to 1 ½ hours riding every day. I also did yoga but the biking was the most effective. I could catch up on my podcasts and news while burning calories and pumping out endorphins. If I had to do it again, I would add my yoga blocks and belt.
designed to help confined people look after their health? All we got for self-monitoring was a thermometer! If quarantine is a health requirement, it makes no sense to provide unhealthy food, inadequate space and no fresh air.
Zohra I followed YouTube videos that I enjoyed with walking, aerobics and fat-burning workouts. I did not have to push myself too hard to stick to my routine and after 21-days in quarantine, I felt energized and had improved stamina.
Enrico There should be online live stream
zoom fitness classes as part of the quarantine process, free for everyone who wants them.
Zohra Perhaps a list of exercise options with fitness KOLs would encourage people to set goals and help them get into a routine.
as in some other countries. This is important for both mental and physical health, as is keeping moving when confined in a hotel room. We normally go to a gym and use the elliptical machine and weights as well as doing lots of outdoor walking and cycling which we missed greatly. Free yoga mats and light weights should be part of the requirements for approved hotels.
Sam How about free interactive health and wellness apps
Yasmin Good food is paramount for good health. In many hotels, the food is unhealthy and inedible, the hotel rooms are not properly cleaned and the windows don’t open. Michael Free equipment should be available for all people in quarantine, whether in a hotel, a camp or at home. Terri Maybe a govt app could be developed with exercise suggestions for small spaces, or the health authorities could work with one of the gyms in town to offer online fitness classes that can be replayed, similar to many other fitness apps but a Q focused one! Hmm …wait that might be a business idea for me HOLD ON!!
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Features December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Chasing Hong Kong
Lighthouses
A
by Ryan Ho
n audio-braille book was produced by a collaborative group of students, one of whom is visually-impaired. The project focused on lighthouses and promotes inclusivity.
The Lighthouse Heritage Research Connections (LHRC) project recruits students and others to contribute their strengths and professional knowledge while also promoting collaboration between the visuallyimpaired and sighted people. It includes many parts, from visiting lighthouses to production of content for audio-braille books and recording of that content. I worked with a visually-impaired student, Rita Lam, to produce an audio-braille book in Cantonese, the aim of which was to provide detailed, factual information about Hong Kong lighthouses for the visuallyimpaired local community. There is also an English version for a non-Chinese speaking audience.
Production of content Producing the content for the book took place in two stages. The first was writing up the text, and the second was transforming it into braille format for printing. To begin with, a group of volunteers from two different university departments started writing content. They consulted Rita throughout the process, to be sure of clarity of meaning as visually-impaired people may perceive or understand concepts in a different way from sighted people. Rita provided constructive opinions and feedback on the choice of terminology that illustrates features of the lighthouses and thus she made the content more reader-friendly to the visually-impaired community. Moreover, she recommended the addition of material on the history of lighthouses, as 38
well as purely descriptive, practical content, which made the audio-braille book more interesting. Next, we transferred the content into braille format. Since a braille reader identifies Chinese words by pronunciation, when there is more than one pronunciation for the same word in Cantonese, the machine may identify and output the wrong term, hence leading to confusion. Therefore, Rita’s help was also needed to fine-tune and recheck the braille version before the book was printed and ensure that no mistakes were made.
Recording of content Since visually-impaired people have to read passages word by word due to the limitations of the braille reader, a recording of the content makes book more accessible and more convenient for learning about lighthouses.
A braille reader is an electronic device that allows a blind person to read the text displayed on a computer monitor. Braille readers come in various forms and there are also braille reader apps for smartphones and tablets
p Rita and Ryan
The recording was a memorable process. I originally expected to have to provide extra support to Rita, thinking that it could have taken her longer than expected to read the passages. I thought she might also encounter unexpected difficulties. However, we collaborated smoothly and she worked both independently and effectively. As a result, I realized that although the visually-impaired people may be visually deprived, their working skills are not necessarily affected Instead, they use alternative methods to get the work done well.
Visiting lighthouses The visits to Hong Kong lighthouses for the project were rewarding and unforgettable experiences for everyone, whether sighted or not. During the visits, the visually-impaired people could touch the surfaces Cantonese Braille ( 粵語點字 ) is a braille script used to write Cantonese in Hong Kong and Macau. It is locally referred to as tim chi ( 點字 ) or “dot characters”, more commonly but ambiguously also called tuk chi ( 凸字 } “raised characters”. Although Cantonese is written in Chinese characters, Cantonese Braille is purely phonetic, with punctuation, digits and Latin letters from the original braille. It uses Cantonese pinyin which is the only romanization system accepted by the Education and Manpower Bureau and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. Read more •en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_Braille •en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_Pinyin
of the lighthouse buildings and this tactile experience, together with the descriptions given by student volunteers, provided them with a brand-new perspective and understanding, both of lighthouse structure and history. Furthermore, since most of Hong Kong’s lighthouses are located in restricted areas, the project allowed visits that would have otherwise been impossible and so it was a wonderful opportunity.
What’s next? Lighthouses are historic tools for the guidance for ships at night and although such visual tools may seem incongruous when working with visually-impaired people it is through inclusion projects like the LHRC that the barriers between the disabled and the able-bodied can be diminished and everyone can contribute equally. We should do our best to remove all social stigma attached to disabled people and try to communicate well with them, learn more about their lives, and thereby build a more inclusive society for future generations. For more on this story, view the video at: cityuhk-lms.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/ Pages/Embed.aspx?id=806f898feeed-445f-9884-adb2003f92a3
Ryan Ho Chun-hei is a student volunteer with the Lighthouse Heritage Research Connections programme at the City University of Hong Kong.
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Christmas is coming
Buy now while stocks last
Order for yourself and for your family and friends
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Local Entertainment Industry Unleashing Potential
T
he local entertainment industry reflects everyday life and the changing face of the city as well as contributing to social and economic development. Its golden age was in the 70s and 80s when Hong Kong films, TV dramas and Cantopop topped the Asian popularity charts. This report asks why it has been in decline since then and what can be done about it.
Music, film, television production and online media are among the city’s homegrown cultural and creative industries (CCI). They comprise one of Hong Kong’s most dynamic economic sectors, contributing to both economic growth and job creation. In 2018, the value added by CCI according 1 to government statistics was $117.8 billion and the contribution to total employment was 5.6%. This report explores ways of rejuvenating CCI and broadening its potential for future development at a time when the sector has been experiencing a downward trend. It discusses the possible reasons for the trend and looks at whether a shrinking local market, lack of talent, poor promotion by government or narrowing the scope of creativity are the main underlying factors. When the national security law came into effect in Hong Kong, the government amended the Film Censorship Ordinance to ban films harmful to national security. In-depth interviews with stakeholders found that practitioners in the film industry were worried about how the law would be interpreted. They thought that there would be self-censorship leading to the stifling of creativity.
Key points from respondents CCI were rated as follows
[on a scale of 0-10, where 10 = “very much appreciated” or “very much agree”]
● 6.12 Television productions ● 6.11 Cantopop ● 5.95 Film ● 5.9 Online media The following average ratings were also given for CCI: ● 6.23 As a representation of Hong Kong culture ● 6.01 As a means to enhance sense of identity among Hongkongers 14.1% of respondents were interested in working in CCI: ● 6.6% said they considered online content creation ● 5.0% expressed an interest in music production ● 3.7% were interested in filmmaking ● 3.7% wanted to work in television production Other points: ● 33% considered the city’s creative talent to be its key advantage in CCI ● 31% thought the industry was held back by lack of government support
Note 1. Census and Statistics Department, HKSAR. Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics June 2020.
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members Ronald Chan, group convenor “The work of the
entertainment industry is currently under the aegis of various government departments. A long-term government development blue print for the industry is also needed and a new cultural bureau could oversee and coordinate all related issues. In the meantime, existing panels and committees should continue to uphold the tradition of impartiality.”
Jenny Liu, group deputy convenor “Some respondents in this study worried that the amended Film Censorship Ordinance could stifle creative expression and a clear explanation is needed. It is of paramount importance to preserve room for creativity if the local entertainment industry is to thrive and the government should listen to stakeholders and provide a stable, long-term CCI business environment.” Report No.64 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Livelihood Group Published title Unleashing the Potential of Local Entertainment Industry Respondents 816 Hong Kong residents aged 15-65 were polled. 3 scholars and 8 industry stakeholders were also interviewed. More details in Chinese yrc.hkfyg.org. hk/2021/09/27/yi064/ Enquiries Chan Shui Ching 3755 7040
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The Rule of Law Safeguards, Education and Strength
T
his study looks at the values and perceptions of youth concerning the rule of law in Hong Kong, as well as the challenges to their faith in it amidst the political and social unrest of recent years. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the rule of law is defined as “The authority and influence of law in society, especially when viewed as a constraint on individual and institutional behaviour; (hence) the principle whereby all members of a society (including those in government) are considered equally subject to publicly disclosed legal codes and processes. Everyone is accountable to the law and equal before the law. As 1 defined by the World Justice Project, “Effective rule of law reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace, underpinning development, accountable government and respect for fundamental rights.” Yet the HKSAR’s performance in adherence to the rule of law has fallen according to international rankings, 2 from 17 to 19 since 2015. The recent spate of social unrest in which quite a large number of people were involved in unlawful activities has seriously impacted upon the stability of the city. As of 31 July 2021, 10,265 people 3 had been arrested for “illegal acts” related to the 2019 protests. Of them, quite a significant number were young people and 4,009 were students. This has raised concerns about young people’s faith in the rule of law as implemented in Hong Kong and, this study hopes to offer insight into ways in which the government, young people and society as a whole might join hands to safeguard the city’s long-established rule of law. Accountability to the law
Equality before the law Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) states: "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law."* Equality before the law and equal protection by the law requires a systematic rule of law that observes due process to provide equal justice, and requires equal protection ensuring that no individual nor group of individuals be privileged over others by the law. It arises from questions concerning equality, fairness and justice. This general guarantee of equality is provided by most of the world's national constitution and has been adopted by China. Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights
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“The rule of law and accountability for human rights violations are critical for prevention of violations, conflict, and violence, the building and sustaining of peace, and achievement of inclusive development,” according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) which represents the world's commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Governance systems are needed in which all duty bearers, institutions and entities, public or private, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, independently adjudicated, and consistent with international human rights norms and standards. However, as the UNHCR also states, “All countries face challenges in meeting these standards.” Source ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/ManagementPlan/Pages/law-accountability.aspx
Key points from respondents
Key points from individual youth interviews
● The importance of rule of law as a core value of Hong Kong was rated an average of 7.87 on a 0-10 scale where 5 represents moderate and 10 means very important.
Some young people say that the government’s unclear explanation of new legislation promulgated last year is confusing.”Some also worry about the possible double standards of law enforcement agencies and the handling by the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong Police Force of cases related to recent social unrest.
● 70.1% say that their confidence in the city’s rule of law fell after the recent spate of social unrest. ● The performance of the HKSAR government in promoting education about the rule of law was rated an average of 4.20 on a 0-10 scale where 5 represents a pass and 10 means very good. ● 51.2% say that their concept of rule of law is most influenced by their peers. ● 49.4% show interest in knowing more about the rule of law. 50.7% do not.
Some young people say that they have learned a lot about the spirit of rule of law and understand it better as a result of participating in workshops and other sessions on the subject organized by NGOs. They were impressed by the diverse and interactive elements of such sessions which included moot courts and role play where they could exchange views with judges. This made them more interested in and aware of the rule of law.
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members Alan Yip, group member “It is the responsibility of every member of society to safeguard the rule of law. Continuous public education and promotion of the importance of this subject is necessary if a society is to continue cultivating and maintaining the rule of law. More emphasis on the content of new legislation is not enough. Education about the rationale behind laws and their implementation is also needed.” Tony Tsui, group member “Laws should be clear, stable,
predictable and easily understandable. The government should improve its explanation of new legislation by holding more public consultations and assessing the public’s concerns and worries. This could result in greater support for new legislation while allaying doubts.”
Vivian Leung, group member “Youth engagement is a driver of change and of the continuous development of a society. Therefore, more training opportunities are needed so young people can learn about the rule of law in the city.”
Report No.65 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Governance group Published title Strengthening the Rule of Law through Education Survey respondents 529 young people aged 15-34 Parallel interviews with 15 youth and 4 experts or academics. Date August to early October 2021 1. worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-INDEX-21.pdf 2. scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1711311/hong-kong-press-freedom-sinks-new-low-global-index 3. info.gov.hk/gia/general/202109/29/P2021092900625.htm?fontSize=1
More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/ en/2021/11/08/yi065-2/ Enquiries Sharon Cheung 3755 7039
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HKFYG December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
On the Go
mobile anti-drug truck The anti-drug mobile truck’s message targets teenagers, students and families, helping them all understand the harmful effects of drugs and say “no” to temptation.
With ● Mobile exhibitions ● Experiential activities
● Educational exhibitions
● Touch-screen interactive educational games ● Drug abuse self-assessment station ● VR anti-drug experience
Schedule and locations ycpc.hkfyg.org.hk/drug_tc/onthego/ Full details Mr Leung 2701 8866
Have a drug problem or need help for youth drug abuse? Contact professional social workers ● Helpline 186 186 ● WhatsApp and WeChat 9818 6186 ● Hotline 8100 9669 ● All information kept confidential ● Download the Youth Law app for anti-drug and drug crime information More one-stop anti-drug information Narcotics Division nd.gov.hk 44
Commissioned by The Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau Operated by HKFYG Youth Crime Prevention Centre
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HKFYG December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
ESG on the Farm
I
n partnership with the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB), HKFYG has launched a new project that aims to put the concept of sustainability into practice and help to combat climate change.
p Students learn about cactus at the HKFYG Organic Farm
The ESG Pioneers “Farm-to-Community” Project teaches primary and secondary school students about the concept of ESG and about mitigating damage to the environment. ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is a concept put forward by the United Nations Global Compact. It is used as an assessment indicator for business operations. Students take part in a series of experiential workshops alongside corporate volunteers from the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB). The project provides digital resources for primary and secondary school teachers. These help the teachers to increase their pupils’ motivation to learn about biodiversity, organic farming and a healthy diet as well as ESG.
“The project can provide a tangible opportunity for students to study the operation of local organic farms, the agricultural industry and its produce.”
Teachers’ comments
Mr Li Man-ching
New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School
Ms Lam Gui-kit
Fuk Wing Street Government Primary School
Enquiries 46
“With resources provided by the project I can teach students about the concepts behind ESG through a multifaceted approach.”
Izzi Pang 2838 4808 (Orgainic Farm) Sally Lo 3755 7110 (Sustainability Unit)
Be Organic, Be Healthy in 2022: Year of the Tiger
Delicious sweet and savoury cakes for your Lunar New Year feasts For the coming Lunar New Year, HKFYG’s Organic Farm presents Organic Daikon Cake and Glutinous Coconut Cake, adding a healthy element to your New Year feast!
With all the best wishes of the HKFYG Organic Farm for a joyful, prosperous and healthy Year of the Tiger Savoury daikon* cake
Sweet Glutinous Coconut Cake
Successful New Year Wishes Hamper
Good Fortune Wishes Hamper
1 Organic Daikon Cake 750g
Sweet and savoury New Year cakes (750g each)
1 Glutinous Coconut Cake 750g
Freshly harvested seasonal vegetables
Price: HK$168
With combinations of at least five vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, kale, carrot, green papaya, beetroot
Price: HK$688
Offer one to family and friends Every hamper shows you care! Gift card included on request *Organic daikon certification US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre (HKORC)
Orders/ Enquiries
NO MSG
Tel 2838 4808 WhatsApp 9087 0852
Place your online orders at organicfarm.hk
Online organicfarm.hk
Avoid disappointment!
Email organicfarm@hkfyg.org.hk
Deadline 26 January 2022
Facebook facebook.com/hkfygorganicfarm 47
HKFYG December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
PH2
affordable hostel co-living with life skills learning HKFYG’s youth hostel, PH2, gets its name from its address at Po Heung Street number 2. It’s in Tai Po Market and it opened its doors to the first residents last April. Since then, they have been creating a residential community of working young people. Complete with the shared facilities and services of the HKFYG Tai Po Youth SPOT, living in the hostel has also meant building stronger life skills and creating social networks as well as putting financial planning into practice. PH2 is the first youth accommodation to be completed and occupied as part of the Hong Kong government’s Youth Hostel Scheme, launched to tackle the problem of unaffordable housing. It is administered by the Home Affairs Bureau as a project for youth development where residents build their social capital in a new living environment while connecting with the community and getting to know each other. Built on the foundations of an early HKFYG Youth SPOT, the new building still has a youth centre on its lower floors, communal residential facilities on the second and third floors and accommodation all on the upper floors.
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2 Po Heung Street, Tai Po Market, New Territories
● Seventy single apartments (187-232 square feet)
Monthly: HK$4,050-HK$5,576
Tenant eligibility Age 18-30 years old
Monthly income level not exceeding: ● HK$24,100 (single occupancy) ● HK$48,200 for double occupancy
● Two 2-person apartments
(suitable for the disabled: 398 square feet)
Monthly: HK$8,103-HK$8,156
Total net assets ● HK$379,875 maximum for one-person households ● HK$759,750 for two-person households Exclusion Hong Kong residential property owners
● Two 3-person apartments
(152-189 square feet plus 160 square feet of shared living space)
Monthly rent: HK$4,348-HK$5,365 per person with bed(s), bathroom, light cooking equipment, desk(s), wardrobe and storage
Neighbourhood facilities
● Convenient bus routes to all parts of Hong Kong ● 5-8 minutes’ walk from Tai Po Market MTR station ● Adjacent to the Tai Po civic centre with its market, cooked food centre, library and gym First tenancy duration Two years Renewable For up to five years
Open for application in 2022.
More details ph2.hkfyg.org.hk/
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HKFYG December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Young Startup Pioneer Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
HKFYG was pleased to announce the 12 winning teams chosen from over 300 applicants at the recent kick-off ceremony and expo for this programme. Winning Teams Wubuntu Limited Founders Tian Chen and Joseph Lam Hung-yan
Providing intercultural empowerment, endorsing diverse talent and inspiring person-to-person learning wubuntuafrica.com
Alpha Heart Design & Production Limited
Founder Miriam Lam Yuen-ling
Designing IP mascots, brand graphics for theme stores and restaurants with illustrations, paintings and animations miriam.l_art
Theiago Limited
Founders Dennis Cheung Tsz-hin and Terry Tam Chun-chung
Developing an AI mobile-assist device that solves travel problems for the visually impaired
Running Aces Event Limited Founder Alex Wong Wai-po Specializing in event management and strengthened event concepts, hosting and operating road closure race events around Asia
theiago.com
r-aces.hk
HK Autotech Limited
Omakidz Conception Limited
Developing an automation system with cloud technology to reduce the high ratio of human-oriented work-flow in the garment industry
Developing convenient and easy to master educational drama game sets for parents and teachers
Founder Billy Tang Kwong-ip
Founders Cecilia Fan Sze-ki and Sheena Cheung Kwan-yu
gaschannelhk.wordpress.com
Organized by HKFYG, the programme is a HKSARG “We Venture” project. It is supported by the “Funding Scheme for Young Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” under the Youth Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau and the Youth Development Commission. 50
omakidz
Enquiries HKFYG Social Innovation and Youth Business Unit Address Room B-E, 11/F, Genesis, 33-35 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong Email sic@hkfyg.org.hk
Tel 35950945 / 39568001 Web sic.hkfyg.org.hk Facebook hkfyg.sic
Programme bit.ly/hkfyg_ydf
Law of Yogurt Limited
Atelier Zero Company Limited
YP Studio
Using genuine Greek yogurt to make more natural, healthy products with skimmed milk and vegan milk options
Manufacturing and selling environmentallyfriendly household cleaning products at affordable prices
Ceramic-making at affordable prices for busy people with different experience levels
Founder Tommas Law Nga-lam
lawofyogurt
Veggroom Limited
Founder Grace Ho Yan-yu
Developing stackable, customizable home hydroponics systems for growing pesticide-free vegetables in confined household spaces veggroom.com
Founder Prema Cheung Ying-tung
atelier.zero.hk
Novak Tea Limited
Founders Kenneth Sit Kin-lok, Lam Tsz-fund, Steven Chan Ka-lok, Vendela Lo Wing-tung and Mak Ho-lun
Founder Ding Chu Hoi-ting
wabiwasabi.pottery
Tracy Image Limited
Founder Tracy Guo Meimei Providing professional video shooting that captures genuine movement, dialogue and facial expressions
Producing sugar-free sparkling carbonated tea with a hoppy taste and natural fruity flavour novaktea.com
heyimagehk.com
2022 Neighbourhood First Reunion Lunch Annually, as the Lunar New Year approaches, the HKFYG Neighbourhood First Reunion Lunch brings young people, neighbours and community together. Building a caring and inclusive community since 2012, the gathering celebrates the coming year with warmth and friendship. Because of the pandemic, the plan for 2022 is for 100 Neighbourhood First Teams to take "New Year Packages of Love" to grassroots families. Focusing on those with limited mobility, the volunteers will spend time with the families before visiting neighbours with encouraging smiles
Stimulating the spirit of caring for neighbours Including all on a memorable day
On Saturday 22 January 2022 At 2,000 beneficiary families’ homes With 1,000 Neighbourhood First Youth Team Volunteers
Full details neighbourhoodfirst.hk Enquiries Monica Mok 3755 7072 51
a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups
Youth ORGANIC
December 2021
Volume 13 Number 4
HONG KONG
FESTIVE HAMPERS
Organic Hamper
HK$588
Christmas Hamper
Orders and Enquiries
HK$588
Tel: 2838 4808 WhatsApp: 9087 0852 organicfarm.hk Email: organicfarm@hkfyg.org.hk
Good Wishes Fortune Hamper
HK$688
All images are for reference only
Publisher : The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
香港青年協會
hkfyg.org.hk．m21.hk
Youth Hong Kong: 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel : 3755 7097．3755 7108．Fax : 3755 7155．Email : youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk．Website : youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk The title of this journal in Chinese is Xiang Gang Qing Nian 香 港 青 年
Soy-ink is made from soybeans and is both environmentally friendly and sustainable. Soy-ink is biodegradable and non-toxic.
