Registration for the annual 2021 Summer Activities co-organised by the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) and the Sports Bureau (ID) starts today.
According to a statement by the two bureaus yesterday, the annual summer activities are for local residents and non-local students aged between four and 25. The statement said the aim of the activities was to help them use summer time to gain more knowledge and experiences outside their school. The statement noted that the bureau has launched over 500 activities, 2,000 classes and over 40,000 spots for children and youths to join.
The statement said that there will be seven main categories of sports activities, comprising ball games, water sports, martial arts, dance, chess, training camps, and other sports activities. The statement noted that the sports category alone has a total of 108 activities, 802 classes and 18,539 spots on offer.
The statement said that the DSEDJ will be organising 11 categories, including 448 activities, 1,284 classes and 24,310 spots for residents.
The statement underlined that in order to join the activities, applicants need to go through three steps: register, a lucky draw, and sign up. The statement said that starting at 10 a.m. today until next Friday at 10 p.m., applicants can sign up for the activities. The statement said that each applicant can sign up for one class only. Then on June 3 at 10 a.m. the two bureaus will announce the lucky draw results, which will determine whether the applicant can sign up for a certain spot. The statement said that from June 7 to June 12 applicants who get a spot in the lucky draw can sign-up for the class and secure their spot.
However, the statement said that those not able to register before next Friday night (May 28) can register for the remaining quotas which will open between June 7 and 10. The statement added that during the remaining quota registration period, each applicant can sign up for two classes. The statement also said that for those who want to sign up for more than one class can also register for two other classes during the remaining quota period, i.e. each applicant can at most register for three classes.
During a press conference yesterday at the Sport Bureau in Zape, DSEDJ Student Department Chief Chan Iok Wai told reporters that this year’s activities have increased 58 percent, adding that among the 11 DSEDJ activities, most are family, arts and crafts or domestic science-related activities.
Chan also said that taking last year’s sign-up situation into consideration, the two bureaus decided that at most each applicant can sign up for three courses. He also said that due to the stability of the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the mainland, both bureaus decided to let youths go camping in other cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
E.coli at Estoril Swimming Pool
When asked the reason as to the emergency closure of the Estoril Swimming Pool, commonly known as San Fa Yuen, on Wednesday, Sports Bureau Development Department Chief Chao Kuok Wai told reporters that the reason for the closure is that the amount of E.coli bacteria found in the water in the pool exceeded the accepted limit during a regular water testing.
Chao said the pool reopened yesterday at 2 p.m., urging residents to be aware of personal hygiene and not to use public sports facilities when feeling unwell.
DSEDJ Student Department Chief Chan Iok Wai (right) and ID Development Department Chief Chao Kuok Wai address a press conference at the Sports Bureau in Zape yesterday. Photo: Prisca Tang
