Key Initiative
Education
Location
Hong Kong
Year
2018 - 2021
Funded By
Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation
Capacity BuildingCareer EmpowermentWhole Person Development

Go Play Olympics!

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, children and youth should engage themselves in an average of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, but Hong Kong students generally do not exercise enough. A study published by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Chinese only) in 2020 revealed that more than 60% of students were not doing enough exercise and 22% did not exercise at all. Their physical and mental health was worse than those who did so.

In 2015, Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation (the Foundation) partnered with Lee Hysan Foundation to support the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China to launch the three-year Sports Legacy Scheme. Under the programme, local retired athletes were invited to be coaches at under-resourced schools to lead young people in physical training. It also aimed to cultivate character development, goal finding while promoting the Olympic values. Besides, the programme provided employment and on-the-job training for retired athletes and those who were about to retire to facilitate their pursuit of a second career.

In light of the positive results of the programme, the Foundation once again supported the programme by joining hands with the Lee Hysan Foundation in 2018 to benefit another 30 primary schools, targeting students from Primary 3 to Primary 5. By enriching physical education classes with game activities specifically designed for primary school students, and offering a wide range of sport activities including karate, skateboarding, baseball, cycling and shuttlecock, etc., the programme helped students explore their interest in sports and make exercise a habit, benefiting about 9,000 students.