Celebrating the success of the Chief Executive Cup

Tonight, I attended a dinner in celebration of the successful conclusion of the Chief Executive Cup of the first HKSAR Charity Football Invitation Tournament. A total of 65 football teams participated in the tournament. They were paired up with 65 charities in order to help these organisations gain publicity and support from the community. Altogether, over HK$6 million was raised for the 65 charities.  Representatives of the charities that were paired up with the teams that made it to the finals also attended today's grand final to cheer the players on. In today's match, the Shatin Sports Association played against the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers. The two teams were well matched and a sudden-death penalty shootout was needed to decide the winner. In the end, the Shatin Sports Association won 1-0 and was presented with the Chief Executive Cup.

Since running in the Chief Executive election, I have been actively advocating the promotion of sports in three directions: sports for the whole community, cultivating elite athletes and making Hong Kong the place for major sports events. Upon my assumption of office, I initiated concrete actions, from planning to allocation of land and funds, to support Hong Kong's sports development. The current-term Government has made the decision to build a sports complex at a construction cost of over HK$20 billion, not including land costs. This has demonstrated the current-term Government's commitment and determination in sports development.

I sincerely hope that the local sports sector will continue to thrive and the whole community will show greater interest in sports and sportsmanship. I also hope that our athletes will continue to shine in the local and international arenas.

October 26, 2014