Wan Chai Sports Ground

Wan Chai Sports Ground is located in , Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, with the capacity 2,000. It is a government-run sports ground primarily used by local schools for sports day and other athletic activities. Situated by the Victoria Harbour, it is at a convenient location next to Hong Kong's business district, Wan Chai, and the shopping district of Causeway Bay.

The Sports Ground is 38 km away from the Hong Kong International Airport and the trip is a 45-minute ride by public transit.

The Sports Ground has an 8-lane, 400 m, all-weather synthetic track with a natural turf infield catering for all track and field events. The measurements and markings of the track are of IAAF standards. The running track and jumping track use Conipur M full polyurethane synthetic material and are 13 mm and 20 mm thick respectively. Landing mattresses of 71cm and 81cm thick are provided for high jump and pole vault. Also, floodlighting of 450 lux is available.

Wan Chai Sports Ground as a protest area during MC6

A preliminary agreement has been reached to designate the Wan Chai Sports Ground and the nearby Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin as protest zones for the more than 10,000 protesters expected to gather in Hong Kong for the of the World Trade Organization. The conference, abbreviated as MC6, will be held in Hong Kong from 13th to 18th December 2005.

Officials have expressed concerns that the protesters might destroy the sports ground, which could force a large number of schools to abandon their plans for sporting activities. However, the protest organizer, the Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO, was unhappy with a previous proposed location for demonstrations, Southorn Playground, which is blocked by highrisers from the venue of the conference, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Tsing Yi Sports Ground

Tsing Yi Sports Ground is a sports ground on Tsing Yi Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is built near the east coast of the island, between Tivoli Garden and Tsing Yi Swimming Pool. It consists of a Tartan track and a football pitch. The football pitch hosts part of Hong Kong First Division League.

Contacts

Phone Number: 2495 7879

Opening Hours

6:15am to 10:30pm everyday.
Wednesday is for maintenance works.

Gallery

Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground

Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground located at Po Hong Road in Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong, is a multi-purpose sports ground. It will become the main venue for track and field events for the 2009 East Asian Games and it is scheduled to be completed by mid 2009.

Occupying an area of about 5.9 hectares, it comprises a main sports ground, a warm-up secondary sports ground, and other facilities for holding large-scale international competitions. Its track and field facilities conform to International Association of Athletics Federations standards.

Events to be held

* 2009 East Asian Games
* Hong Kong First Division League

Facilities

Facilities of the main sports ground include:
* Eight-lane 400-metre all-weather synthetic running track
* Javelin-throw circle
* High jump take-off runways and pits
* Long jump and triple jump runways and pits
* Pole-vault runway and landing area
* Steeple chase facilities
* Hammer and discus cage
* Shot-put throwing area
* 11-a-side natural football pitch conforming to the Federation Internationale de Football Association standards
* Covered spectator stand with a seating capacity of about 3,500 and spaces for a temporary spectator stand with 1,500 seats.

Secondary sports ground

The secondary sports ground includes:
* Warm-up track and field facilities
* Seven-a-side natural turf football pitch

Ancillary facilities

Other ancillary facilities include:
* Doping control rooms
* Weight-lifting rooms
* Control rooms
* Press facilities
* Necessary facilities for organising events and conferences as well as holding training exercises.

Gallery

Tin Shui Wai Sports Ground

Tin Shui Wai Sports Ground is a multi-use sports ground at 2 Tin Shui Road, Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long, Hong Kong.

It has a grass football field and a 400m running track.

It will be used by TSW Pegasus as its main training ground during the 2008-09 Hong Kong First Division League season.

Tai Po Sports Ground

Tai Po Sports Ground is a sports ground at 21 Tai Po Tau Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong.

It is the home ground of Tai Po FC. It staged its first ever Hong Kong First Division League game on 30 September 2006, when Tai Po FC played South China AA here. Tai Po FC eventually lost 2:3. All 2,020 tickets for the match was sold out.

2007 Refurbishment

After the game, the sports ground is found to be unsuitable for future first division games. But refurbishment work begun in 2007 to upgrade the facilities, including refurbishing the changing rooms, building corporate boxes, installing new goal posts and replanting the grass, so that Tai Po FC can play all its home games in the 2007-08 league season here. The work will cost the Leisure and Cultural Department HK$1 million.

2007/08 Hong Kong League First Division

On 3 August 2007, the HKFA agreed to allow Tai Po FC to play 9 games at the Tai Po Sports Ground in the 2007/08 league season, regardless whether the games are home or away. There are likely to be other first division matches for two other clubs at the ground on the same days as well. But in the pre-season pitch examination, HKFA decided that it was not up to standard for First Division matches and in the end no game was held at the ground.

2008/09 Hong Kong League First Division

With a potential 13 teams competing in the 2008-09 season, the HKFA reckons that Mongkok Stadium's pitch will not be able to handle the large number of games to be played and once again suggested using Tai Po Sports Ground for NTRA Wofoo Tai Po's home games. The HKFA's schedule for the first half of the 2008-09 season has shown that Tai Po FC has been granted the rights to play six of its home games here.

On 13 September 2008, Tai Po FC played its second ever home game at the sports ground against . 1,136 fans attended the game. Tai Po won 2:1. .

Transport

MTR Tai Wo Station, 10-15 minutes walk to Tai Po Sports Ground.

Gallery

Southorn Playground

Southorn Playground is a sports and recreational facility in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong. It comprises a football field, four basketball courts, and a children's playground. Located at the junction of Luard Road and Hennessy Road, it has been Wan Chai's main recreational area since the early 1970s. Formerly a thriving night market, it was named in 1934 after Sir Wilfrid Thomas Southorn who was the Colonial Secretary in 1925-1936. Though the site is not big, it is often used for district functions such as fun fairs and sports matches.

Use of facilities

Southorn Playground was a major landmark to senior residents of Wan Chai. Back in the 1950-60s, it was a place of both work and entertainment. Its character changed throughout the day.

In the morning, laborers gathered in the playground to start their day. They gave each other Chinese herbal massages to alleviate fatigue and pain because it was costly to seek proper medical treatment. In the evening, the playground transformed into an open-air, working class "night club" where visitors enjoyed Chinese magic and kung fu performances, as well as street food.

Nowadays, Southorn Playground remains popular among Wan Chai dwellers: senior citizens kill time by playing there, while young people regard it as one of their favorite spots for and basketball. The annual Adidas Streetball Challenge is held in the playground which attracts flocks of Hong Kong basketball fanatics and young spectators.

Southorn Playground is the Hong Kong equivalent of . Fred Manson and Thomas Heatherwick want to retain the present facilities of the playground but make the space more appealing to a wider group of people.

Redesign

The and the British Council invited English designer Thomas Heatherwick and urban renewal specialist Fred Manson to improve the amenity, which is now a concrete rectangle with games courts painted on. The project is about augmenting public spaces via the use of art. Art in public spaces is about making art for the benefit of the citizens, the community who uses it. It is not about putting a sculpture in a public space for people to look at. Instead, it is about establishing relationship with the community and improving the quality of the environment. The project will endeavour to create a public art intervention in Southorn Playground, which will meet the community's needs and address the cultural complexities of Wan Chai. It is hoped that the project will serve as a model of community participatory approach in public art in Hong Kong. In summary, the project's objectives include:

*To create changes so people will take a fancy to it;
*To make it better so people will benefit from it;
*To bring it up-to-date so that it has new significance as Wan Chai's main square in the past, present and future, and
*To make the playground a public art in its own right.

Southorn Playground and WTO Ministerial Conference

Southorn Playground was originally one of the designated protest areas for the WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005 , which was held during 13-18 December, 2005 in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong. However, the government decided it would not be used for demonstration purposes after taking into account the Wan Chai District Council's views - the playground is too far from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and protesters may end up cramming in Wan Chai. The playground therefore was only reserved for MC6-related public activities such as public forums, bazaars and cultural performances.

Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground

Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground is a multi-use stadium in Hong Kong. It is currently used mostly for matches. It occupies about 43,000 meter square and its construction costed over $230 million. Opened in December 1996, the Sports Ground is a concrete structure built on a single level, with a permanent seating capacity of 12,000.

Facilities

* Natural grass football field
* Athletic facilities conforming to the International Amateur Athletic Federation standard for track and field competitions.

Ancilliary facilities

* A weight training room for athletes
* Six air-conditioned changing and shower rooms
* A function room and a VIP room
* Refreshment kiosk
* Car park

2004 World Cup qualifiers

On 31 March 2004, with the Hong Kong Stadium being readied for the , played host to in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification game at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground instead. Hong Kong lost the game to China by 0:1. 9,000 fans attended the game.

On 8 September 2004, Hong Kong again used Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground as its home ground for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification game against . Hong Kong lost by 0:2.

International Football Matches

China vs Melbourne Victory

On 4 July 2007, played against Melbourne Victory at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, in preparation for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. The 90 minutes game was separated into 3 30 minute periods and China won the game 1:0 with a goal from Wang Dong in the second period.

South China AA vs Chelsea FC

South China AA played against Chelsea FC from the English Premiership at the stadium on 20 May 1997. South China lost 2:3 to Chelsea. Gianluca Vialli scored two goals, Roberto Di Matteo scored the other. South China's Shum Kwok Pui and Cheng Siu Chung scored for the home team. 10,500 fans attended the game.

Location

This stadium is located very near the bay and the Island Resort, Hong Kong.

Transport

Mass Transit Railway

20 minutes walk from Chai Wan Station Exit A.

Bus

*82: Siu Sai Wan - North Point Ferry Pier
*84M: Fu Yan Garden - Chai Wan MTR
*606/606P: Siu Sai Wan - Choi Wan
*682/682P: Chai Wan - Ma On Shan
*118R: Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground - Mong Kok

Minibus

*44M: Chai Wan - Siu Sai Wan Estate
*47M: Chai Wan station - Siu Sai Wan Phase III
*61: Mong Kok East station - Siu Sai Wan
*62A: Hang Fa Chuen - Siu Sai Wan

Gallery

Reference

External websites

*