Po Leung Kuk Jockey Club Pak Tam Chung Holiday Camp upgraded its sports facilities and presented the first public fourth generation artificial turf sports ground in Hong Kong
(19 February 2019, Hong Kong) Funded by Po Leung Kuk and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the $120 million Pak Tam Chung Holiday Camp redevelopment project spans an area of 3,000 square meters, including the construction of the first public fourth generation artificial turf multi-purpose sports ground in Hong Kong, which can be served as soccer, hockey or rugby training pitch and organise major sports events. The number of service attendance is expected to increase from 220,000 to 240,000 annually.
The completion ceremony for the redevelopment of Pak Tam Chung Holiday Camp was held today, and had the privilege to have Miss Charmaine WONG JP, Acting Director of Home Affairs; and Ms Donna TANG, Executive Manager, Charities (Grant Making – Sports and Environment) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, to be the officiating guests.
The makeover contains a number of renovations, in which the fourth generation artificial turf multi-purpose sports ground no longer required to use rubber granules as fillers to support the grass fibers, so as to reduce the cancer risk. The redevelopment project also added 52 residential camp places for athletes and coaches, and public changing rooms with shower and toilet installations, together with more diversified sports training facilities including water sports center, archery range, roller skating rink etc. The main service targets are youth aged 24 or below. The holiday camp will offer an all-in-one sports training venue for the community, schools and sports teams, and provide better accommodation, training and practicing facilities for local groups and overseas athletes.
Dr Margaret W L CHOI, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk, remarked that Pak Tam Chung Holiday Camp is an important recreational and sports landmark for the public, and expressed her gratitude to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for their continuous funding support, enabling facilities improvements such as introducing the more advanced artificial turf sports ground, which allows the Kuk to carry on its commitment in delivering high quality and sizeable recreational services to the public. She looked forward to seeing the Holiday Camp will further the sports development in Hong Kong and scaling new heights.
Miss Charmaine WONG JP, Acting Director of Home Affairs stated that the promotion of sports development is one of the key policies of the SAR Government. Besides fully assist the elite athletes in professional trainings, it is equally important to promote the culture of sports at community level. The promotion requires the support from various sectors of the community, in which Po Leung Kuk is always an invaluable partner of the Government. In addition to the support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, she hoped to the three parties can keep on working hand in hand for the whole-person development of the youth in future.
The ties between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Po Leung Kuk would be date back to 1981 by supporting the Kuk to build the Holiday Camp for recreational purposes and encouraging participation in sports. The Hong Kong Jockey Club believes that active in sports can benefit physical and mental health, in particular to assist young people to reduce stress and strengthen their physical, psychological and social abilities through innovative mass activities.
The Po Leung Kuk Jockey Club Pak Tam Chung Holiday Camp was officially opened in 1979 and has been in operation for 40 years. The campsite covers 9.8 hectares, located at the Pak Tam Chung riverside in Sai Kung, dubbed as the “back garden of Hong Kong”. It can accommodate up to 440 campers after redevelopment, and well-equipped with a wide variety of water, land and recreational activities and facilities. Apart from offering enjoyable camping experience to families and organizations, it is committed to unleash the potential and career interests of the youth by organizing various training programs. The camp has also upheld green mission by hosting series of eco-guided tours, and was awarded the “Platinum Prize” of “Charter on External Lighting” scheme organised by The Environment Bureau.
Media Enquiry
Senior Corporate Communication Executive
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Department
Po Leung Kuk
Mr Alan Ng
Tel: 2277 8453
Email: alan.ng@poleungkuk.org.hk