News

The International Scientific Symposium 2009 was successfully held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University today, with a participation of over 100 coaches and athletes; researchers in the field of sports science, sports medicine and textile bioengineering; sportswear and apparel designers as well as manufacturers, both locally and overseas.

Organised by the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), the theme for this year's Symposium was "Sportswear for elite performance enhancement", which featured keynote lectures by eight renowned researchers and sport professionals from Sweden and Hong Kong. The speakers shared knowledge on the role of sportswear in elite performance enhancement and technological advancements in respect to sportswear design and manufacturing in Hong Kong. The lectures were followed by a high-performance sportswear demonstration by athletes from the HKSI.

"As we advance the scientific support to both the elite athletes and the recreational sportsmen and sportswomen, we are utilising all aspects of evidence based scientific work to support these dedicated individuals who devote for sporting excellence," said Professor Chan Kai-ming, HKSI Vice-Chairman, Chairman of the Elite Training and Athletes Affairs Committee, Director of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre and CUHK-WHO Collaborating Centre for Sports Medicine and Health Promotion.

Trisha Leahy, Chief Executive of the HKSI, added, "The Symposium aims to provide a forum for the participants to exchange technologies and innovations in the design and manufacturing of high-performance sportswear, and to share experiences of wearing high-performance sportswear. It also provides an opportunity to explore potential research and development collaboration."

In the morning session, Professor Ingvar Holmér, leader of the Thermal Environment Laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University, Sweden, kicked off the keynote lectures by addressing issues on heat stress and athletic performance – impact of climate and clothing; Professor Li Yi, Chairman of Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Society and a professor at The Institute of Textiles and Clothing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, presented the design and engineering of sportswear for performance enhancement; Dr Hu Junyan, a research fellow of The Institute of Textiles and Clothing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, spoke on the liquid transfer behaviours in a sportswear; and Dr Maurice Wong, President of Genexy Company Limited and Director of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, introduced the technology transfer and integration in sportswear manufacturing.

In his welcome speech, Professor Li Yi stressed the important roles of sportswear and sporting devices in sporting activities. "Sportswear and sporting devices are not only cultural symbols and identities of sports teams and individual athletes, but also means of enhancing performance, preventing injury and ensuring physiological health. Technological advances in design, engineering and novel functional materials increase the importance of sportswear in an elite athlete's lifecycle – training, competition and recovery," he said.

In the afternoon session, Chris Perry, Head Rowing Coach of the HKSI, addressed the sportswear requirements and development in high-performance rowing from coaches' perspective; former Hong Kong Olympic cyclist Hung Chung-yam reviewed the sportswear requirements and development in high-performance sports from athletes' perspective; Yau Kwai-leung, Managing Director of Re:echo Asia Pacific Limited, introduced features and future development of outdoor sportswear; and Professor Daniel Fong, Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, spoke on sportswear for injury prevention – the sprain-free sport shoe.

The keynote lectures were then followed by a practical application session, where athletes from the HKSI took the stage as models in a high-performance sportswear show to demonstrate the concept of advanced sportswear design. A number of specialised sportswear collections were shown, including windsurfing wear, rowing wear, winter running wear, summer running wear and cycling wear that were designed and developed by the research team in The Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It was the first ever sportswear demonstration for the annual event and was well received by all of the participants for its uniqueness and innovativeness.

This year's Symposium is co-organised by The Institute of Textiles & Clothing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Centre and the CUHK-WHO Collaborating Centre for Sports Medicine and Health Promotion; and fully supported by eight professional sporting bodies, namely Hong Kong Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Science; Hong Kong Coaching Committee; Hong Kong Dietitians Association; Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited; Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel; National Strength and Conditioning Association; Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China; and Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Society.