With a generous donation of HK$88.72 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have jointly established The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre to provide integrated sports medicine, sports science and sports health research and clinical services for elite athletes, the general public and sports-related industries, as well as to encourage and support the general public to take up regular exercise or sports to improve their health and well-being.The Centre was launched yesterday (30 May) at The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Sha Tin Clubhouse by Dr York Chow, Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong SAR; Mr John C C Chan, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Prof. Lawrence Lau, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK; and Prof. Poon Chung-kwong, President of PolyU.
In his address at the opening ceremony, Dr Chow said, “This joint initiative between PolyU and CUHK marks an important milestone in sports medicine and health development in Hong Kong. Backed by the funding support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and a strong team of professionals and resources from the two universities, the Centre will definitely contribute towards the well-being of the community by the provision of holistic and high-quality service.”
His view was reinforced by Mr Chan, who said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club is dedicated to promoting public awareness of health and advancing sports development in Hong Kong. With the approach of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its equestrian events that will be held in Hong Kong, the establishment of the Centre is most timely and important. We strongly believe that the Centre, by pooling together expertise and resources of the two universities in an effective manner, will give a strong boost to sports and health development in Hong Kong.”
Both PolyU and CUHK expressed gratitude to The Hong Kong Jockey Club for supporting the concept and the creation of the Centre. Prof. Poon said, “PolyU is privileged to receive such staunch support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, which has made possible the successful establishment of the Centre. The Centre will undoubtedly help elevate Hong Kong’s international status in the profession of sports medicine, health sciences and rehabilitation.”
Prof. Lau remarked, “Both CUHK and PolyU have strong, independent track records in sports medicine and sports health, respectively. This collaboration is an excellent opportunity for the two institutions to further exchange knowledge and learn from each other and ultimately benefit the community at large.”
The new Centre aims to create a healthier Hong Kong and advance sports medicine and health sciences by encouraging the public to participate in regular exercise or sports, providing integrated sports medical, rehabilitation and health services and performance optimization training for elite athletes and the public through evidence-based practice, offering training to sports medicine and health sciences professionals and students from relevant disciplines, and improving treatment protocols and the safety and efficacy of sports through basic and applied scientific research.
Existing and new facilities in PolyU and CUHK have been organized into 14 sports medicine or sports health science units that form the Centre. The Centre’s setup and recurrent expenses for the first three years are supported by the donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and the Centre is jointly managed by the two universities.
The Centre currently works with elite athletes from the national sports squads of Hong Kong and China. The Centre will also be providing professional support for major international sporting events such as the forthcoming Beijing Olympics and its equestrian events in Hong Kong, the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong, and the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Other activities of the Centre include establishing a centralized clinical database to facilitate holistic treatment for clients and anonymous data for research, creating community education programmes to promote health through regular exercise or sports to the public, developing performance-enhancing technologies and devices to make sports participation safer and assist elite and amateur athletes in their training and performances, as well as collaborating with local and overseas partners in research and development to further sports medicine and health sciences research and services in Hong Kong, mainland China and the region. The Centre aims to become a centre of excellence in Asia in sports medicine and health sciences.
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