​Cheerleaders from the 18 districts gathered at Queen Elizabeth Stadium today (March 19) to participate in the 6th Hong Kong Games (HKG) Cheering Team Competition for the 18 Districts. Filling the stadium with joy and cheering, the teams strived their best by demonstrating astonishing skills with sophisticated dance moves and slogans.

The 6th HKG, which is a territory-wide major multi-sports event and one of the activities of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, has been scaled up with quotas increased to allow more members of the public to take part in the events and share the joy of the anniversary, the Chairman of the 6th HKG Organising Committee, Mr William Tong, said. He also urged the public to cheer for the district athletes at the competition venues and actively join various activities of the HKG.

The Cheering Team Competition for the 18 Districts was staged at Queen Elizabeth Stadium for the first time to allow a larger audience to watch the teams' thrilling performances. Cheerleaders in colourful costumes showcased the uniqueness and vitality of their districts through their 90- to 150-second performances combining dancing, cheering and chanting.

The competition offered the Best Performance Award and the Best Local Characteristics Award, with champion, first runner-up and second runner-up prizes to be awarded, and the Highest Popularity Award.

The Best Performance Award recognises the content, action arrangement and onstage presentation of performances, as well as the skills in the movements and overall assessment. The Best Local Characteristics Award recognises teams that present the best overall impression, with cheering techniques, costumes and appearance, slogans, music and songs that reflect the characteristics of their districts. The Highest Popularity Award will be presented to the team which obtains the most votes from spectators through a "one person, one vote" mechanism. The announcement of the results of the competition and prize presentation will take place at the 6th HKG Closing cum Prize Presentation Ceremony to be held on May 28.

The cheering teams will continue to cheer for their district athletes throughout various competitions of the HKG. They will also perform at the 6th HKG Opening Ceremony to be held at the Hong Kong Coliseum on April 23. Around 10 000 guests and members of public will attend the Opening Ceremony, while members of the audience may have a chance to win two free round-trip airline tickets presented by the sponsors of the 20th anniversary celebration. Free admission tickets will be distributed at the District Leisure Services Offices of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) from April 11. Members of the public can also enjoy the live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony on TVB Jade.

Other guests at today's event included the Chairman of the Community Sports Committee, Mr David Yip; the Executive Adviser of the 6th HKG Organising Committee, Mr Chau How-chen; the Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services), Mr Raymond Fan; and representatives from the 18 District Councils. They led the 18 district cheering teams in a ceremony to cheer on and show support for the athletes.

The HKG is held biennially with the 18 districts as participating units. The 6th HKG will be held from April 23 to May 28 and will include eight sports events, namely athletics, badminton, basketball, futsal, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. Each district has formed its own team to compete in various sports, with about 3 200 athletes participating in total. Members of the public are welcome to watch the exciting competitions and cheer for the participating athletes at the competition venues.

Photography enthusiasts can take pictures of the exciting scenes at the sports competitions and activities of the HKG and compete in the Dynamic Moments Photo Contest by uploading photos to the HKG dedicated website or submitting them via mail or in person to the LCSD by June 6. Details about the 6th HKG sports competitions and other community participation activities are available on the HKG's dedicated website (www.hongkonggames.hk).

The 6th HKG is organised by the Sports Commission and co-ordinated by the Community Sports Committee, with the 18 District Councils; the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China; eight relevant National Sports Associations; and the LCSD as the co-organisers. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the Principal Contributor for the event.

Ends/Sunday, March 19, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:06

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