Games team develops a taste for meeting locals

THE Hong Kong Commonwealth Games team took time out to mingle with the local Victoria Chinese community on the eve of the opening ceremonies.

The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Victoria hosted members of the squad not involved in training at a dinner at its headquarters in Chinatown.

They were joined by team officials including Hong Kong Olympic chief A. de O. Sales, and the mayor of Victoria, Bob Cross.

The association is more than a century old and aims to provide an environment for immigrant Chinese and Canadian-born Chinese to retain their cultural heritage.

Association president Joseph Leung said: ''We have our Chinese school, which has classes from grades one to six, where students learn Cantonese and Mandarin.'' Mr Leung moved to Canada from Hong Kong in 1982, but said he spoke for all Canadian-Chinese when confirming his support for the territory's team at the Games.