Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-vice president of the Macau Synergy Association Ron Lam U Tou criticised the Sports Bureau (ID) yesterday for cancelling all swimming classes, both the bureau’s Sports for All classes and China-Macau Swimming Association’s training classes, at the Lin Fong Sports Centre “at the same time” without notifying the public in advance, impacting a large number of participants in the Sports for All classes and training classes, as well as the training team members and swimming coaches.
Along with the full opening of the government-run indoor swimming pool at Lin Fong Sports Centre next month, the bureau announced in a statement last Tuesday that the number of places for its Sport for All classes will be reduced to 85 percent of the original quota, with the classes being only available for registered children, adults (including seniors) and people with mental disabilities or with hearing impairments.
Regarding the insufficient number of places for swimming classes, Lam said that the government should find ways to improve the situation, such as setting barrier-free facilities in more public swimming pools to cater for the swimming needs of special groups such as the elderly and children, but not to “significantly” reduce the number of swimming lessons at the Lin Fong Sports Centre.
In terms of the government’s recent announcement, which points out that the number of places for each swimming class in its Sports for All programme would be lowered to about 85 percent of the original number, Lam said: “The fact is that in order to increase the number of places [for swimming lessons], the government has shortened the duration for the classes from two months to two weeks.
Lam reaffirmed that he was not against the bureau’s decision on the full opening of the Lin Fong swimming pool for the public, adding that he had proposed to the bureau through the Legislative Assembly (AL) to convene a meeting to communicate and seek consensus with various “stakeholders” regarding the Lin Fong swimming pool, while requiring the bureau to provide information on the utilisation rate of each public swimming pool, among others.
Lam made the remarks during a press conference at his office in the city centre, accompanied by several affected stakeholders including coaches and learners who have had their classes in the Lin Fong swimming pool, as well as a parent.
A swimming coach surnamed Lu said during the press conference that the Lin Fong swimming pool is the only local one accredited for teaching, adding that the number of learners in the ID Sports for All classes and China-Macau Swimming Association’s training classes reached about 1,196 and 1,200 respectively in June, involving 42 and 28 classes, pointing out that the bureau’s decision would put most coaches out of work.
The number of swimming classes in the Sports for All programme next month has been reduced from more than 40 classes for two months in the past to less than half of the classes, with the number of classes for each course and the length for each class also being reduced, Lu said, adding that although the decision can ensure the turnover rate and enable more members of the public to learn to swim, it may not ensure that learners can master their swimming skills.
Lu said: “In fact, swimming classes and opening to the public can coexist”, urging the government to strike a balance between the opening of time slots for the public and the holding of swimming classes in the Lin Fong swimming pool.
Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-vice president of the Macau Synergy Association Ron Lam U Tou (third from right) and five Lin Fong swimming pool users comprising two coaches, two students and a parent hold a press conference yesterday at Lam’s office in the city centre. – Photo: Yuki Lei
