Corporate News

Club promotes golf to people with intellectual disabilities Nine golfers depart for Shanghai Special Olympics World Summer Games

21 September 2007

A delegation of nine intellectually disabled golfers from Hong Kong will fly to Shanghai on 29 September to take part in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, as part of a support package being provided by The Hong Kong Jockey Club to the Hong Kong Special Olympics team to promote golf to people with intellectual disabilities and organise golf training programmes for its athletes.

The Club has long been committed to promoting sports to people with disabilities, and has supported various sports development projects over the years to encourage disabled people to develop their potential.  People suffering from Down's Syndrome tend to be excluded from most types of sport, due to the congenital abnormality of their body functions, including low muscle tone and loose joints. Golf, however, is a low intensity sport that can be easily adapted to different kinds of people regardless of their disability levels, and may well be played by people with Down's Syndrome.

In view of this, the Club has provided funding to the Hong Kong Special Olympics squad to promote golf to people with intellectual disabilities and discover talented players, as well as arrange coaching and training facilities for the team at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course. The funding also covers the hosting of local golf competitions for people with intellectual disabilities and the organisation of a train-the-trainer course targeting teachers at special schools and university students studying Special Education. The purpose is to provide these present or future teachers with basic golf knowledge and encourage them to promote the sport to their students.

With support from this project, nine golfers aged 14 to 20 will take part in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games to be held from 2 to 11 October in Shanghai. Mother of one of the golfers, Cheung Man Shan, was delighted her daughter had been given the opportunity to enter the competition. "Man Shan finds her virtue in golf. Participation in golf training and competitions also increases her self-confidence and feeling of success, which significantly improves her self-care ability. She now feels more at ease with strangers or in an unfamiliar environment."

The Club's Executive Director of Charities, Mr William Y Yiu, said the Club hoped its donation would allow more people with intellectual disabilities to try the sport. "This project provides training to disabled golfers and supports their participation in international competitions," he explained.  "We hope this will help widen their horizons and enhance their self-confidence. The fact that Hong Kong is able to send a delegation to this year's Special Olympics World Summer Games symbolises a good start to the goal of helping local people with intellectual disabilities realise their potential through golf development.  I wish the delegation all the best."


Photo 1:
Photos 1 & 2:
Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Mr William Y Yiu, presents a souvenir to the Hong Kong Special Olympics golf delegation, giving them his best wishes for a successful trip.


Photo 2


Photo 3:
Photos 3 & 4:
The Hong Kong Special Olympics golfers practise at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course.


Photo 4

 

 

Other Corporate News