Portraits of National Sports Association

Handball Association of Hong Kong, China

Handball is a “sport for all” suitable for people of all ages. In the 40 years since its establishment, the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China has been committed to the development and promotion of handball in Hong Kong. In this issue, we have invited Mr Yeung Hoi Cheung, the Chairman of the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China, to introduce the Association's work and direction of development.

Mr YEUNG Hoi Cheung, Chairman of the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China

The Handball Association of Hong Kong, China was formerly known as the Hong Kong Amateur Handball Association, and was formally established in December 1970. It became a member of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China in 1980. Given handball’s increasing development in Hong Kong, the Association was officially named the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China Limited in 2002 to make handball a more professional sport in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong handball leagues held by the Association consist of four men’s and three women’s groups to a total of 95 participating teams, most of which are amateur players of Hong Kong.

Mr Yeung said that to promote handball in Hong Kong, the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China frequently holds beginner handball referee classes, handball coaching courses, inter-district team trainings, etc. Also, with the aid of funding from the LCSD, it also runs a Young Handball Athletes Training Scheme, District Handball Teams Training Scheme, School Sports Program and Community Sports Club Project to nurture more local handball athletes.

Other than actively promoting handball in the community and in schools, the Association also organizes a number of local and international handball competitions. In addition to the Hong Kong handball league mentioned above, there are also the Hong Kong Handball Open Competition, Age Group Hong Kong Handball Youth Competition, 5-a-side Children’s Handball Competition, Hong Kong International Handball Championships, Men’s and Women’s Asian Beach Handball Championships and the Hong Kong Macau Handball Inter-port Championship, etc. Moreover, the Association is also responsible for holding selections to decide which of our local male and female handball athletes get to compete in large-scale or overseas competitions so that they can learn from the competition and achieve continuous self-improvement. The Hong Kong men’s handball team placed 7th in the National Games of the People’s Republic of China 2013 and achieved the goal to make it into the top 8 that was set 8 years ago. And in the ages group below 20 of the International Handball Federation Trophy Tournament that was held in Mongolia in April 2014, the Hong Kong men’s team achieved inspiring results by delivering a shock defeat to favourites such as the Chinese Taipei team to claim first place in an international competition for the first time.

Handball is becoming popular in secondary schools nowadays, but there are still objective limitations to the promotion of the sport, such as the venue and the impact of weather. Due to the changeable weather in the south, outdoor handball venues cannot be used in all weather conditions, so Mr Yeung hopes to increase the number of indoor handball venues to allow athletes adequate time and opportunities to practice their skills.

Mr Yeung also said that one characteristic of handball is the small size of the ball. This makes it easier to control and easier to throw with force. It also has simple rules and requires a moderate amount of exercise, which makes it a sport that is good for stretching muscles suitable for people of all ages. To increase public awareness of handball, the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China will continue to promote handball, as well as find and nurture more talented handball athletes.

If you are interested in handball, please visit the website of Handball Association of Hong Kong, China (website: www.handball.org.hk).