School facilities boost HK sports

August 12, 2018

Unique resource:

The Hong Kong Women’s National Ice Hockey Team trains at Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School’s synthetic ice rink through a government scheme.

Versatile functions:

The women’s hockey team also uses the school’s basketball court for physical training.

Learning through observation:

Students at the school have learned more ice hockey skills by watching the women’s team train at their school.

Win-win situation:

The team’s assistant coach Kin Ng (left) said the scheme benefits both sports organisations and schools.

Financial boost:

Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School Headmaster Wong Yuet-ming said the initiative’s subsidy helps with expenses to maintain the school’s synthetic ice rink.

Download Video| Transcript

Voiceover:
Ice rinks are not commonplace in sub-tropical Hong Kong, and that is one of the major challenges facing the Hong Kong Women’s National Ice Hockey Team.

So on most Saturdays, the hockey team trains at this primary school where there is a synthetic ice rink.

The Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association, which manages the team, applied to use the school’s synthetic ice rink through the Opening up School Facilities for Promotion of Sports Development Scheme launched by the Education Bureau and the Home Affairs Bureau.

Hong Kong Women’s National Ice Hockey Team Assistant Coach Kin Ng:
Before this scheme starts, there is basically no way we can find a school for training. The women’s team is very lucky to have this school, TKP Tin Ka Ping (Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School), to help out, to have the facilities to help them to train both on ice and off the ice especially when you talk about the physical conditioning. The ice rink obviously can help with the stickhandling skill. More regular training time so that players or athletes will be able to train more regularly. That’s a good part. Absolutely a win-win situation for all.

Voiceover:
The scheme was first implemented in the 2017-18 school year with the objective of increasing the provision of sports facilities, while enhancing the sporting culture at schools.

It encourages public sector schools to open up their facilities, including playgrounds, school halls and activity rooms, to sports organisations during weekends, school holidays and after school hours on weekdays.

Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School Headmaster Wong Yuet-ming:
It’s a service. We have this facility, quite unique. This facility can be used by some suitable (groups). I think it’s a very good reason for us. This is also a mutual benefit, not only for our school, but for the association and for society.

Voiceover:
Apart from receiving booking fees, participating schools get a subsidy from the two bureaus to cover expenses.

A $20,000 subsidy is given for accommodating the first programme and $15,000 for each subsequent programme, up to a maximum of $80,000 per school for each academic year.

Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School Headmaster Wong Yuet-ming:
This subsidy not only provides our students to buy some equipment but for the maintenance of the ice rink, it is also (beneficial).

Voiceover:
Seventeen sports organisations have held 45 sports programmes in 15 schools in the 2017-18 school year. These programmes include squad training, young athletes training and district sports activities, including basketball, volleyball, archery, badminton, baseball and table tennis.

In the 2018-19 school year, the scheme's subsidy will be increased to $30,000 for the first programme, and $20,000 for each subsequent programme. The subsidy cap will be increased to $130,000 per school.

The scheme will also be expanded to Direct Subsidy Scheme schools and participating schools will be encouraged to waive booking fees for non-profit sports organisations.

Hong Kong Women’s National Ice Hockey Team Assistant Coach Kin Ng:
We hope that we will be able to use a lot different schools so that we can use different locations so that more players will be able to participate in training and then they become better. And then because more players participate, we will be able to find the more elite players, train them to become more elite players, so for sure it would help the sports.

Voiceover:
The scheme is now accepting applications from sports organisations for the 2018-19 school year.

Interested organisations can submit application forms to the two bureaus before August 17. 

For enquiries, please contact the Home Affairs Bureau.

Ice rinks are not commonplace in sub-tropical Hong Kong, a major challenge facing the Hong Kong Women’s National Ice Hockey Team.

To overcome this obstacle, the team trains at a synthetic ice rink belonging to Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School through a government scheme.

Players can consistently train at the school’s rink, something the team’s assistant coach Kin Ng said is very helpful for his players’ development.

“Before this scheme starts, there is basically no way we can find a school for training,” Mr Ng said.

“The (synthetic) ice rink obviously can help with stick-handling skill and even skating skill.”

The Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association, which manages the team, applied to use the school’s synthetic ice rink through the Opening up School Facilities for Promotion of Sports Development Scheme jointly implemented by the Education Bureau and the Home Affairs Bureau.

The scheme was launched in the 2017-18 school year with the objective of increasing the provision of sports facilities, while enhancing sporting culture at schools.

It encourages public sector schools to open up their facilities, including playgrounds, school halls and activity rooms, to sports organisations during weekends, school holidays and after school hours on weekdays.

Mutual benefits

Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School Headmaster Wong Yuet-ming said the scheme benefits his school.

“We have this facility, quite unique. This facility can be used by some suitable (groups). The team also provides us with other resources such as their coach,” said Mr Wong.

He hopes the students can learn more about ice hockey by watching the team train.

“Our school is enthusiastic about ice hockey. The students watch the players train and they can learn to be strong and confident while playing themselves,” he said.

Apart from receiving booking fees from sports organisations, participating schools can get up to $80,000 each academic year from the Government to cover expenses.

“Ice hockey requires special storage. We use the subsidy to buy the equipment and also to maintain the synthetic ice rink. It lessens our financial burden,” Mr Wong said.

Further funding

In the 2017-18 school year, 17 sports organisations have held 45 sports programmes in 15 schools under the scheme. These programmes include squad training, young athletes training and district sports activities, including basketball, volleyball, archery, badminton, baseball and table tennis.

For the 2018-19 school year, the scheme’s subsidy will be increased from $20,000 to $30,000 for the first programme, and from $15,000 to $20,000 for each subsequent programme. The subsidy cap will be increased to $130,000 per school.

The initiative will also be expanded to Direct Subsidy Scheme schools. Participating schools are encouraged to waive booking fees for non-profit sports organisations.

The scheme is now accepting applications from sports organisations for the 2018-19 school year. Application forms can be submitted to the two bureaus before August 17.

For enquiries, contact the Home Affairs Bureau at 3509 8078.