Hong Kong Special Olympians given send-off ahead of the games in March
- Acting chief executive Matthew Cheung presented the 103-strong delegation with the city flag at Hong Kong Sports Institute on Tuesday
- The athletes will take part in the summer games in Abu Dhabi from March 8 to 21
A delegation of 103 members, including 62 athletes with intellectual disabilities, will represent Hong Kong at the 2019 Special Olympics Summer Games.
Presented with the city’s flag by acting chief executive Matthew Cheung Kin-chung at the Hong Kong Sports Institute on Tuesday, the delegation will depart for Abu Dhabi in just over a month for the games, which take place from March 8 to 21.
The 62 athletes, aged between 10 and 38, will take part in 10 events, including aquatics, athletics, badminton, bocce, soccer, golf, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and table tennis.
Laura Ling Lau Yuet-fun, head of the delegation, said about two-thirds of the athletes were competing in their first Special Olympics.
“We want as many athletes as possible to share the opportunity to participate in such international competitions,” Ling said.
Special Olympics Hong Kong, founded in 1976, provides opportunities for more than 50,000 people with an intellectual disability, aged 8 or above, to participate in a variety of Olympic sports.