Portraits of National Sports Association

Hong Kong, China Rowing Association

Mr. Mike Tanner, Chairman of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association

As one of the traditional Olympic events, rowing is a very challenging and competitive sport. Indoor rowing is also very popular in Hong Kong, mainly attributable to the active promotion and events organization of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association. In this issue, we have invited Mr. Mike Tanner, Chairman of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association to introduce the work and development prospects of the Association.

The Hong Kong, China Rowing Association, formerly known as “Hong Kong Amateur Rowing Association”, was incorporated in 1978, it is the governing body for rowing in Hong Kong and is responsible for development and promotion of rowing in Hong Kong. At the time of its incorporation, the Association had five affiliated clubs only. As it developed, more and more people participated in rowing, and now the number of affiliated clubs has increased to 31, with the total number of registered rowers over 2,500, among which nearly 800 are long-term active rowers.

Racing boats at the riverside of Shing Mun River for training

The Hong Kong, China Rowing Association leads the development and promotion of rowing in Hong Kong. Due to the active promotion of the Association, indoor rowing is promoted as a separate aspect of the sport and is used for independent competition. To encourage athletes and explore new talents, the Association holds many indoor and water events on a annual basis, including the Hong Kong Schools Rowing Championships, Shing Mun River Regattas and Hong Kong Universities Rowing Championships, with the number of participants increasing continuously. In addition, the Association selects Hong Kong teams to compete at various international and regional competitions, for example, they won one gold medal, four silver medals and one bronze medal at the 15th Asian Rowing Championships in 2013. Hong Kong rowers also have a strong record in winning medals at Asian Games and East Asian Games.

Mr. Tanner said, in order to attract more young people to participate in rowing, the Association sends coaches to schools all over Hong Kong to promote rowing. The “Youth Rowing Development Programme” supported by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has developed to be a territory-wide sports development scheme, from which many outstanding rowers have emerged. Mr. Tanner also pointed out that, with the funding and support of the LCSD, the community rowing clubs actively train members and provide training courses in the community through the “Community Sports Club Project” to attract more people participating in rowing.

The Sha Tin Rowing Centre of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association

While more and more people become aware of rowing, the Association still has some difficulties in promotion due to the limitation of its Sha Tin based rowing centres. Currently most rowing activities of Hong Kong are based at Shing Mun River, Sha Tin, which is not convenient for some potential rowers, and also is subject to tidal influence so is limited for international competition. Mr. Tanner hoped that the plan for the Kai Tak International Rowing Centre can be implemented, so as to provide a comprehensive water sports center of international standard, and to encourage the public to establish a healthy lifestyle by participating in water sports. He believes that rowing can help strengthening muscles of the whole body, improving health, and cultivating team spirit. In order to let more people know about this healthy exercise, the Association will continue to promote actively, and to explore and train more talented athletes.

If you are interested in rowing, please visit the website of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association (website: www.rowing.org.hk).