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To provide more children and young people with opportunities to engage with basketball, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has committed HK$70.75 million through its Charities Trust to support a three-year Jockey Club Believe & Bounce Basketball Programme. This initiative, to be jointly implemented by InspiringHK Sports Foundation (IHKSports), The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA) and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), aims to make basketball more accessible for students and underprivileged groups, thereby enhancing their physical and mental well-being and fostering their personal growth.

The programme kick-off ceremony took place on 13 September at Tai Kwun. Attending guests included Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Kenneth Fok, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR and Vice President of Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China; Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups; Billie Lau, Executive Director of The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong and Yasmin Fong, Board Member of the InspiringHK Sports Foundation.

Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges highlighted that the Club has always been dedicated to sports development in Hong Kong, investing in both facilities and programmes to promote sport at all levels – from the grass roots to elite athletes, from kindergarten children to senior citizens. The Club is therefore pleased to join hands with its three outstanding partners to implement this three-year programme. Believing strongly in the power of sport to shape and change lives, the Club hopes that these basketball programmes will bring pleasure and fulfilment to young people in Hong Kong – helping them to live healthier, happier and more positive lives. 

He added that the Club wants to do even more to promote sport and will double its funding for sports development. The Club plans to spend HK$3 billion on sports and sports development over the next three years. 

The three basketball programmes under the Jockey Club Believe & Bounce Basketball Programme are InspiringHK Dream Factory run by IHKSports; BGCA Care run by BGCA; and HKFYG Hustle 5 run by HKFYG. The programmes are expected to benefit more than 32,000 people, including over 660 coaches. Key elements include:

Tailor-made basketball training for children and youth aged 5 to 24:

• Introductory courses for kindergarten and primary students to spark their interest in basketball and foster an active lifestyle 
• A training model for primary schools, designed by professionals including social workers and sports psychologists, to help students build a strong foundation for their growth.
• Skill-focused district training programmes led by coaches from the East Asia Super League to provide young people, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, with more access to high-quality professional training and elite-level competitions to enhance their skills.