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The Hong Kong Sports Association for the Physically Disabled (SAP) was
founded in 1972 to promote and organise sports training and competition
for physically disabled people. It aims at developing their full potential
through taking part in sport, as well as promoting a community of equal
opportunity and full participation for physically disabled persons.
Being one of the pioneers in advocating promotion
and development of disabled sports in the Far East and South Pacific (FESPIC)
Region, the SAP hosted the Inaugural FESPIC Youth Games in Hong Kong from
December 21 to 28. A total of 480 athletes and officials from 15 nations/territories
in the FESPIC Region took part. Hong Kong won a total of 114 medals (29
gold, 46 silver and 39 bronze) and ranked fourth overall in the medal
tally.
Playing the role of the National Paralympic Committee
of Hong Kong, the SAP is the only sports entity recognised by the International
Paralympic Committee in the selection of disabled elite athletes for major
international competitions such as the Paralympics and the World Championships.
With the commitment and hard work of its athletes and coaches, the SAP
again achieved impressive results internationally during the year. Athletes
won a total of 215 medals (69 gold, 74 silver and 72 bronze) in international
competitions.
The Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally
Handicapped (SAM) was founded in 1978. It aims to develop, promote and
organise sports activities for persons with intellectual disability in
order to fully develop their potential in sports abilities, to cultivate
positive attitudes in sportsmanship and to facilitate their integration
into the community. The association provides sports training and competitions
for more than 25 000 persons, and through the years has been steadily
developing a training programme from the grass roots to an elite level.
Athletes took part in numerous international competitions
during the year and made the most of these opportunities to polish their
skills. Altogether, they won 79 gold, 56 silver and 47 bronze medals in
the competitions, including the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games
in Dublin during the SARS period and the world swimming championships
hosted by the association in Hong Kong. Among the other competitions in
which athletes competed successfully were the athletics world championships
in Tunisia, rowing world championships in Italy, open swimming championships
in Australia, tenpin bowling competition in Malaysia, world table tennis
championships in Mexico, Special Olympics national winter games in Japan,
and athletics world indoor championships in Hungary. |
