Sporting grants of up to $40,000 will be given to 11 sportsmen and sportswomen this week in the first round of funding from the Hong Kong Athletes Fund.
Set up in the wake of last year's Atlanta Olympics, the fund, inspired by windsurfer Lee Lai-shan's gold medal, raised more than $5 million in donations by the end of December.
But contributions tailed off and it has remained virtually static since then. With the $8 million injection from the Government, the total has long stood at $13 million.
Doris Mao, the Sports Development Board's head of public affairs, said the body planned to raise the fund's profile. 'We are going to hold some presentations and are working on some leaflets, not only to publicise the Athlete's Fund, but two other funds also administered by the board,' she said.
The board received 27 applications for the grants, which will be funded with interest accrued from the $13 million.
Sports administration manager Edmund Wong Siu-kong said: 'The vetting committee meets twice a year, next time in January.' Three types of grants are given - up to $40,000 for a full time course, tuition grants of up to a maximum of $10,000 for study programmes of less than a year, and a subsistence allowance for retired athletes who undertake long-term courses.
