HONG KONG – Cash incentives for local athletes who perform well at the Paris Olympics Games will be increased by 20 percent. Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki made the announcement at the flag-presentation ceremony for Hong Kong athletes participating in this year’s Olympics games on Tuesday. He said he expects Hong Kong’s teams to make good progress and unleash their full potential. Athletes who win gold medals will receive HK$6 million, while those who finish in the top three will receive rewards of up to HK$12 million.
In addition, the first prize of this year’s BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize will rise to HK$2 million from HK$1.3 million. The prizes, which are crucial to Hong Kong’s future tech-innovation, focus on five fields: artificial intelligence and robotics, life and health, new materials and new energy, advanced manufacturing and fintech. This year, the nomination scope of the prize has been expanded to include universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
At the event, the winning teams were awarded for their excellent research in a written report and oral defense. The judges were impressed with the depth of their understanding of the chosen topics and the systematic use of collected data. The judging criteria also included objectivity and clarity of presentation.
A total of 70 secondary school teams participated in the competition this year. Under the guidance of their teachers, they decided on a mathematics topic and conducted research under a multi-step process. The outstanding teams were invited to present their research reports at an oral defense before a panel of experts. After a rigorous assessment, 15 teams were selected to be awarded for their outstanding work.
The award-winning schools were also honoured for their outstanding contribution to the development of STEAM education. The winning team from Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School won the champion trophy and a cash prize of HK$20,000, while the first-runner up was Carmel Pak U School, who received a cash prize of HK$10,000.
The awards scheme also recognises veterans and up-and-coming arts practitioners, as well as those who have actively promoted local arts activities. Moreover, the scheme commends those who have supported arts development and encourages community participation in arts promotion. In this way, the awards scheme plays an important role in promoting Hong Kong’s arts development and fostering a culture of sharing and mutual respect between different sectors. The 19th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards will be presented in May.