Games cash boost for Hong Kong's rising stars
Hong Kong's up-and-coming athletes with Olympic aspirations are set to benefit from a newly launched $2 million two-year scholarship programme aimed at helping sportsmen compete at the Beijing Games.
The Manulife Hong Kong Sports Scholarship Programme, overseen by the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), will provide financial support to qualified athletes in the two years leading to the 2008 games.
A subsidy of $8,000 per month, to be disbursed on a quarterly basis, will be awarded to the recipients to offset the cost of their training, coaching, medical and scientific monitoring as well as insurance coverage.
It is expected that 10 athletes will benefit from the programme which kicks off its first phase in May, with a budget of $1 million. Athletes included in the first phase can apply for renewal of the support in the second phase which starts in May 2007 for another 12 months.
The total budget for the two-year programme is around $2 million. Programme sponsor Manulife would consider additional funding if there was sufficient demand.
Preference will be given to athletes who have never won a medal at an Olympic Games or world championships and to those who are not receiving any other form of support or assistance under another incentive or sponsorship programme.
'Our aim is to give more support to the up-and-coming athletes as they are the group who need the financial support most to strive for better international results,' Vivian Fung Lau Chiang-chu, vice president of the SF&OC said yesterday. 'Once they have achieved to a certain level, they will be well taken care of by other agencies.'
A selection committee comprising Hu Fa-kuang, vice president of the SF&OC, and its two honorary deputy secretaries, Ronnie Wong Man-chiu and Leung Mee-lee, will be set up to appraise applications.
Applicants must come from sports that will take part in Beijing and must be eligible to represent Hong Kong in the games.
Tony Yue Kwok-leung, chairman of the Hong Kong Table Tennis Association, welcomed the scheme, saying it would definitely benefit Hong Kong's up-and-coming youngsters in their preparation for the games.
'We are happy to see such a programme in place to help our athletes prepare for the Olympic Games. This is good news especially for those juniors as they are in great need of the support,' he said.
Hong Kong badminton coach Chan Chi-choi said the amount of support was great and he would be happy to see Hong Kong's shuttlers benefit from it.
