Hong Kong, China, March 20, 2025: The Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China signed two Memoranda of Understanding with the Heilongjiang Sports Federation and Harbin Sport University, respectively, on Thursday, March 20.
The collaboration aims to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in winter sports between the two places, encourage joint training for athletes and coaches, promote exchanges among youth athletes, and foster cooperation in staging winter sports competitions, working hand in hand to raise the popularity of ice and snow sports.
The MoUs were signed by Mr. Xu Qin, Secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee; Mr. John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Mr. Yin Zhonghua, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr. Xu Xiangguo, Secretary General of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of CPC; Mr. Edgar Yang, Honorary Secretary General of SF&OC; and Mr. Kenneth Fok, Vice President of SF&OC and Chairperson of the Hong Kong Olympic Academy.
The signing ceremony was also attended by Mr. Wong Po Kee, Honorary Deputy Secretary General of SF&OC, together with representatives from the relevant winter sports National Sports Associations (NSAs).
Under the MOUs, both places will collaborate to facilitate joint training sessions for various winter sports teams before key competitions. The Heilongjiang Sports Federation will open its professional training venues to Hong Kong’s teams to meet their training needs prior to competitions.
Capitalising on the Heilongjiang Province’s strength in winter sports coaches and referees, both parties will deepen exchanges among winter sports coaches, support the training efforts of the relevant NSAs in Hong Kong on coaches and referees, as well as encourage more exchanges, visits and cross-teams training, with an aim to enhance professional competence and nurture talents. The MOUs also seek to encourage the corresponding winter sports associations in both places to connect and promote youth exchanges in sports, including organising winter and summer camps, ice and snow sports trials and so on.
Separately, the Hong Kong Olympic Academy under SF&OC will work with Harbin Sports University in areas such as talent development in winter sports, competition training support, cultural exchanges and winter charity activities for the youth.
Mr. Fok said: “Winter sports are not yet widely popular in Hong Kong. Nurturing the younger generation is crucial for the development of ice and snow sports. Our collaboration with the Harbin Sports University provides a broader platform for youth exchanges between the two places, offering opportunities to potential winter sports athletes while making winter sports increasingly popular in southern cities and contributing to the vigorous development of ice and snow sports in our country.”