Sports Subvention Scheme

The Department is responsible for the administration of government funding for the promotion and development of sports throughout Hong Kong. Subventions are provided to NSAs and other sports associations to allow them to organise sports events, training programmes and competitions. In 2008-09, the Department provided subventions worth approximately $185 million to these associations, which organised 10 300 sports programmes for more than 715 000 participants.

A total of 66 international events were also held locally under the auspices of the Scheme to stimulate interest in sports and provide more opportunities to watch sporting events. Amongst those held were the Tennis Champions Challenge 2009, the Hong Kong Open Windsurfing Championships, the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup ------- Hong Kong 2008, the 17th Super Kung Sheung Cup International Basketball Invitation Championship, the 13th Tour of South China Sea (Cycling), the 2008 Hong Kong ITU Triathlon Asian Cup, the 13th Asian Cities Gold Cup Taekwondo Championships, the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic 2008, the 2008 Hong Kong International Handball Championships, the Hong Kong Inter-City Athletic Challenge 2008, the 34th International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships, the 30th Hong Kong Rowing Championships, the Hong Kong International Judo Tournament and the Hong Kong Junior Squash Open.

The 17th Super Kung Sheung Cup International Basketball Invitation Championship is one of the sporting events subvented by the LCSD.

Around 360 000 people also took part in 340 local competitions organised by the NSAs. These competitions were designed to foster a sports culture amongst the players and spectators, and major events included the Hong Kong Student Streetball Challenge, the Nike Hong Kong Football Five, the Hong Kong Sports Climbing Championships, the Hong Kong Open Wakeboard and Water Ski Championships, the Hong Kong Cup Archery Tournament, the Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships, the Hong Kong Youth Indoor Rowing Championships, the Hong Kong Bench Press Championships, the Hong Kong Open Table Tennis Ranking Championships and the Hong Kong Cup Table Tennis Championships. A series of inter-school sports competitions was also organised for primary and secondary school students.

Sports promotion schemes and training courses are important components of these subvented programmes. The sports development programmes held in 2008-09 included school sports programmes and various training schemes, such as the Tennis Stars of the Future, the Hong Kong Youth (Boys and Girls) Basketball Training Scheme 2008, the Youth Windsurfing Promotion Scheme, the Fujifilm Mini-Squash Scheme and the Youth Handball Training Programme.