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The Hong Kong Jockey Club Coach Education Programme (HKJCCEP) is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of some HK$9.7 million since November 2015.  HKJCCEP consists of three major components including the Jockey Club Elite Coaching Development Programmes, Jockey Club Coaching Accreditation Programmes and Jockey Club Community Education and Coach Recognition Programmes to further support the career development of coaches.  The annual Jockey Club Hong Kong Coaching Awards falls into the third category which aims to recognise the coaches’ dedication in identifying and nurturing Hong Kong athletes to achieve outstanding results at both regional and international sporting arena, and also in developing sports across community and school level.

A total of 135 coaches were honoured today at the 2015 Awards Presentation Ceremony at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI).  Over 190 nominations were received for honours in seven categories of awards.  This year, a new category, School Coach Recognition Awards, has been added to pay tribute to full-time teachers who have made special contribution to school sports.  The other six award categories are Coach of the Year, Distinguished Services for Coaching, Coach Education, Best Team Sport Coach, Coaching Excellence and Community Coach Recognition Awards.

Mr Lau Kong-wah JP, Secretary for Home Affairs; Mr Timothy Fok GBS JP, President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China; Mr Matthias Li, Vice-Chairman of the HKSI; Mr Adam Koo, Chairman of the Hong Kong Coaching Committee; and Mr Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club officiated at the Ceremony.

Mr Koo saluted all winning coaches and praised their efforts in developing and cultivating the city's best athletes. He said, "The dedicated coaching teams supported and guided athletes to overcome all of the challenges throughout their sports journey, unleashing their potential in athletic performance. Without their contribution, it would not have been possible to prepare Hong Kong’s best athletes to achieve such fascinating results on the world stage in 2015.”

Mr Cheung congratulated the award-winning coaches, who trained and inspired athletes to achieve outstanding results. “The Club believes sports can help Hong Kong people lead healthier lives and develop lifelong positive attitudes and values. Through developing the concept of ‘Sports and Innovation’ to promote sports for all over the next few years, we would like to use innovation in sports to motivate individuals at all levels to take part, ranging from children to young people, adults, the disabled and elderly,” he said. “By injecting various new elements, our intention is to arouse people’s interest in taking up physical activities, so as to make exercise a regular habit.”

The Coach of the Year Awards (COY) remains one of the focuses of the Presentation.  Wushu coach Liu Tao won his first Coach of the Year title in the senior athletes, individual sport category by coaching his athletes to win four gold and two silver medals at the 13^th World Wushu Championships in 2015, including two gold medals won by Geng Xiaoling in Women’s Changquan and Gunshu events.  

Badminton coach Chen Kang was named COY in the senior athletes, team event category with the excellent performance of his charges, world number nine mixed doubles pair Chau Hoi-wah and Lee Chun-hei.  The pair made history by reaching the top of the podium at the 2015 World Superseries in Australia and also won a silver medal at the Asia Championships. Coach Chen won his debut COY honour in the same category in 2013.

The remarkable performance of the young cyclists at the 2015 Asian Junior Cycling Championships earned cycling coach Tsang Kai-ming the debut COY honour in the junior athletes, individual sport category.  Fung Ka-hoo won a gold medal in the men’s junior road race individual time trial; Leung Hoi-wah returned home with a silver and a bronze medal in the women’s junior scratch and road race respectively; and Mitchelmore Maximilian Gil claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 3km individual pursuit. 

Squash coach Leung Kan-fai Dick earned his fourth COY title in the junior athletes, team event category by leading the junior women’s team and junior men’s team to a silver and a bronze medal respectively at the Asian Junior Team Championship 2015.

Distinguished Services Award for Coaching went to table tennis coach Chan Kong-wah in recognition of his unremitting service to the sport for more than 20 years.  One of his remarkable achievements was the Olympic silver medal won by table tennis duo Ko Lai-chak and Li Ching in Athens in 2004.  Coach Chan has also been successful in nurturing local young athletes and has successfully trained up world number nine Wong Chun-ting who won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles by teaming up with Doo Hoi-kem at the 2015 World Championships.

Wushu coach Sin Kok-lam won the Coach Education Award for his long-term commitment and active promotion of Sanshou since 2004.  Serving as the Vice President and the Convener of the Sanshou Training and Promotion Committee of Hong Kong Wushu Union as well as the instructor of Sanshou coaching courses of different grades, Coach Sin is also responsible for designing various teaching materials for the Sanshou coaching courses.

Nominated for the first time, dragon boat coach Milan Krasny took home the Best Team Sport Coach Award with the solid performance by his squad winning two silver medals in small boat premier open 200M and small boat U24 open 200M at the 12^th World Dragon Boat Championships.

The Coaching Excellence Awards were handed to 93 coaches who led an athlete or a team to achieve outstanding performance at the major international competitions in 2015, while 25 coaches were presented with the Community Coach Recognition Awards for their special contributions to coaching athletes or teams in the community for a period of not less than three consecutive years.  In addition, the newly added School Coach Recognition Awards honoured 16 full-time teachers who have made special contribution to school sports last year.

The annual Jockey Club Hong Kong Coaching Awards is organised by the Hong Kong Coaching Committee, a joint committee of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China and the Hong Kong Sports Institute, which was established in 1991 with the aims of formulating and implementing short-term and long-term strategies for the development of coach education and accreditation programmes in Hong Kong.  Over the years, more than 85,000 participants have benefited from the programme.

For the List of Recipients for the 2015 Jockey Club Hong Kong Coaching Awards, please click here.  For the past recipients, please click here.