Club-funded Asia & South Pacific Boccia Championships brings HK athletes a golden chance

14 July 2009

Boccia is one of Hong Kong's strong target sports and the SAR's disabled athletes won gold and silver medals in the sport at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. To help local athletes in their quest to qualify for the London Paralympic Games in 2012, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has donated HK$2.14 million through its Charities Trust to the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled to enable it to host the 3rd Asia & South Pacific Boccia Championships 2009 in Hong Kong. The championships will be staged from 14 to 22 August at Kowloon Park Sports Centre.

Boccia is a game suitable for the disabled, specifically wheelchair users as it is played from a seated position. It is a non-contact and target-driven sport that relies on skill and subtlety rather than size and speed. The 3rd Asia & South Pacific Boccia Championships 2009 has been sanctioned and designated by the sport's governing body, the Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association, as one of the four qualifying competitions for the London Paralympics in 2012. Malaysia was originally accorded the hosting right of the Games but pulled out at the last minute, providing Hong Kong with an opportunity to take its place.

The Club's Executive Director, Charities, William Y Yiu, said the Club was committed to supporting sports development for both able-bodied and disabled athletes. It had made it possible for Hong Kong to stage the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics, funded various disabled sport programmes and was now supporting the 2009 East Asian Games as the Principal Contributor. ''We learned that the organiser was under tremendous time constraints and financial pressure when Hong Kong undertook to host the Boccia Championships at the very last minute,'' Mr Yiu explained, ''so we made sure that the funding application from the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee was processed as quickly and flexibly as possible. We hope our assistance will provide local boccia players with a much needed opportunity to earn 'entry tickets' to the 2012 London Paralymic Games, as well as promoting the game of boccia and disabled sport to the Hong Kong community at large.''

Chairman of the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, Jenny Fung, commented that sports of all types were very beneficial and therapeutic to people with disabilities, but disabled sports generally attracted far less public attention and sponsorship than the popular professional sports. ''We are very grateful to the Club for all the recognition and support they have given us over the years, which has helped many disabled athletes lead more active lives,'' she said.