HONG KONG—A long queue composed of residents eager to have their first taste of lawn bowls was maintained throughout the operating hours of the Sport for All Day last Sunday August 2, 2015.
This year, lawn bowls was again part of the government initiated programme, which is running in the seventh consecutive year. While all the seven public greens throughout Hong Kong were opened free-of-charge for the public on the day, a tailored funday entitled “Indoor Lawn Bowls Play-in” was also arranged at Tiu Keng Leng Sports Center.
During the four hours duration, two sets of short mat bowling carpets were installed inside the multi-purpose arena in conjunction with other sports such as windsurfing, track cycling, body-mind stretching, family mini games etc.
Under the supervision of qualified HKLBA coaches, participants had the opportunity to understand the basics of the sport. They also had a chance to try a few bowls on the short mat.
The participating public showed a high level of interest and there were always more than 50 people in the queue. Potential particpants were still queuing when the event was about to close. It was estimated that more than 500 tried the sport during the four hours period.
HKLBA vice president Warren Kwok welcomed the Sport for All Day as an additional push to promote the sport in the community, “Over the year we have been working with the Leisure and Cultural Service Department to generate more community interest in the sport. In addition to the 300 training courses every year, we also have a number of fundays throughout the year to cater for the increasing demand.”
“Events such as the Sport for All Day will definitely further our penetration in the community. This is very important for our future development as a lot of elite players will be coming from local communities,” concluded Kwok.
Sport for All Day has been organised by the LCSD for seven consecutive year to promote sport for all. The Department offered some 190 free recreation and sports programmes at designated sports centres in the 18 districts, ranging from health talks and exercise demonstrations, to fitness corners, parent-child sports programmes, sports participation sessions, and sports activities for people with disabilities.
Claudius Lam is an Officer of the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association
