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.
