Hong Kong hosts first tripartite sports meet
The inaugural Sports Meet of Guangdong/Hong Kong/Macao Correctional Officers was held in Hong Kong between November 27 and 30, 2001.
Organised and hosted by the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department Sports Association (CSDSA), the Sports Meet attracted nearly 200 correctional officers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. To the delight of athletes officers of the three places, a team of some 30 officers from the Singapore Prison Service also joined in as guest participants.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Commissioner of the Hong Kong Correctional Services, M Benny Ng Ching-kwok, said: “The Sports Meet gives us a good opportunity to develop our friendship and enables us to exchange our experience in correctional services.”
The four-day event included competitions in football, basketball, table tennis, badminton, squash, snooker, shooting and long distance run.
The Hong Kong team emerged as the overall champion and, Macao and Guangdong were the first and second runners-up respectively. Indeed, the most treasured and ever-lasting prize won by all the participants was friendship.
During their stay in Hong Kong, the guest players were accommodated in the ‘Athlete Village’ of the Staff Training Institute of the Hong Kong Correctional Services. Apart from sightseeing and visits to penal facilities, they were also invited to the annual Autumn Fair organised by the CSDSA in Stanley on December 1, which raises funds for various charities.
The tripartite event will be held in the three places in rotation and Guangdong will host the next Sports Meet.