More than 2,500 students have been roped in for a project which aims to teach children the importance of daily exercise.
Under a pilot scheme, skipping will be introduced as a fun activity in physical education lessons.
The Jump Rope for Heart campaign kicked off with a series of dazzling performances at the sports centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
To the accompaniment of popular disco music, participants demonstrated a variety of routines ranging from the simple single jump to the more complex backward swing, double dutch, and performances that involved a dozen people.
'The project aims to teach children the importance of daily exercise,' said Amy Ha Sau- ching, assistant professor at CUHK's Department of Physical Education who heads the $580,000 Quality Education Fund initiative. 'The earlier they get used to physical exercise as a daily routine the better.' 'Skipping is a familiar sport that is easy to master. At the same time, it allows children to be creative,' said Dr Ha.
Dr Ha chairs the Hong Kong Rope-Skipping Society which she founded in 1998.
The project included an in- depth study of the existing PE curriculum, which Dr Ha described as 'boring', and the introduction of 'innovative' methods which emphasises a healthy diet and lifestyle.
