Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

The quadrennial FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar in November. Besides being a showcase for world-class football teams competing for the championship and a masterclass in football magic, it was also a chance for Qatar to introduce fans around the world to its exotic culture. In Hong Kong, the Consulate General of the State of Qatar held a special “Qatar Cultural Day – FIFA Mini-World Cup 2022” on 30 November at the Chinese YMCA Secondary School (CYMCASS). They celebrated the world’s greatest sporting spectacle with a group of young students who simulated national team players from different countries, playing football and experiencing Qatari culture through a variety of games and activities.

 

Mr Anthony Ng, the Chief Education Officer of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (second from right), gave a souvenir to the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in Hong Kong as a token of appreciation.

The opening ceremony was held at the CYMCASS assembly hall and was officiated by HE Mr Ali Saad AI-Hajri, Consul General of the Consulate General of the State of Qatar; Ms Maryam Ahmad AI-Shibi, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the State of Qatar; Mr Jeff Sze Chun-fai, JP, Hong Kong’s Under Secretary for Education; Mr Timothy Fok, GBS, JP, President of the Hong Kong Football Association; Mr Anthony Ng, the Chief Education Officer of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong; Mr Frederick Cheung, Principal of the Chinese YMCA Secondary School; Ms Candice Lee, Founder of Asia Art Hong Kong; and Ms Jenlen Ng, Chair of Education of Asia Art Hong Kong. Mr Terence Yu, Sales Manager – Qatar Airways, Hong Kong and Taiwan, attended as honoured guest as well.

 

Students competed fiercely in “Mini-World Cup”, a pseudo-FIFA World Cup, in which Team Argentina won the championship.

The Cultural Day featured eight activities that corresponded with the eight World Cup stadiums in Qatar. More than two hundred students from the CYMCASS and our Chinese YMCA Primary School got an immersive experience of Qatari culture – without needing to travel abroad. To create an exciting ambience for the students, a model aircraft was displayed on campus while the school principal, teachers and students dressed in Qatar Airways cabin crew uniforms and traditional Qatari attire. Students were given a “passport” that they used to collect the eight stamps from the booths, which they were able to redeem for souvenirs.

 

The climax of the day was without doubt the “Mini-World Cup”, in which 160 Form Two students representing the 32 national teams competed fiercely in a pseudo-FIFA World Cup. Just before the World Cup was officially opened 20 November in Qatar, the “Mini-World Cup” opening ceremony was presided over by the Consul General, Mr Ali Saad AI-Hajri, and Deputy Consul General, Ms Maryam Ahmad AI-Shibi, on 18 November. The excitement and exuberance of the kids was undeniably contagious. To begin, the Counsel General and teachers joined the students in an exhibition match for a short while. Over the next two weeks, the students followed the World Cup structure, first playing group matches before playing the quarter-final, the semi-final, and the final game at the Qatar Cultural Day event. After several thrilling rounds of matches, Team Argentina won the Mini-World Cup – foreshadowing the actual World Cup result – while Team Mexico and Team France were the first and second runners-up.

 

The Cultural Day featured different game booths introducing Qatar cultures and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to the students.

There was much more than football on the schedule though, as students learned about Qatari culture from several other activities. The Deputy Counsel General demonstrated examples of Qatari social etiquette at one of the exhibition stands, while giving them a sip of Arabic coffee and a taste of traditional sweets. At another booth, traditional clothes and accessories were displayed, which students could try on and then take pictures of themselves. Qatari diplomats taught some students Arabic and calligraphy at another booth, carefully writing their names in Arabic script. Elsewhere, the students learned about Qatar’s blooming pearl farming industry and its economic benefits, even creating their own pearl accessories; challenged themselves with traditional Qatari games including Carrom, Al Khaish, Al Dahrooi, and Al Rein; and took a closer look at the design and stunning features of the eight World Cup venues through detailed scale models of the stadiums.

 

 

In October, the Chief Executive delivered the Hong Kong government’s 2022 Policy Address, outlining comprehensive measures to revive the economy, improve livelihoods and support youth development. With the pandemic’s dark cloud still casting a shadow over Hong Kong’s economy, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (the Association) replied to the address with a call for more policies focusing on further improving livelihoods, welfare and youth development. Our main suggestions included:

 

1. Supporting the Youth Participation Initiative

• Support the government’s initiative to attract more young people into policy advisory boards, such as increasing the quota for the “Member Self-Recommendation Scheme for Youth” to encourage youth participation in public affairs.

 

2. Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET)

• Welcome the government’s endorsement of the VPET
• Look forward with anticipation to more effective policies and hope that the subsidy programme will be extended to part-time students in self-financing institutions and similar organisations.

 

3. Encouraging ageing in place

• Support the idea of ageing in place and the regularisation of the “Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly”.
• Recommend a timely policy review regarding adjusting the scheme quotas to tackle the upcoming serious challenges that will come with an ageing population.

 

4. Primary healthcare

• Expect that the government will strengthen interdisciplinary primary healthcare collaboration.
• Recommend the continuous assessment and optimisation of healthcare services such as dental care and the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme.

 

5. Housing for young people

• Welcome the idea of expanding the Youth Hostel Scheme and suggests building a monitoring mechanism so the scheme can be periodically evaluated.
• Propose maintenance checks on vacant school premises and support revamping old buildings and factories to create more youth hostel spaces.

 

6. Broadening the horizons of young people

• Support and encourage more young people to gain an understanding of the development of China and the world beyond via exchange programmes to overseas places and to mainland China.
• Propose a peer support network to facilitate social interaction between mainland and Hong Kong students studying at China-based university branches should be created.

 

7. Supporting local tourism

• Recommend adding community-specific elements into the “Cultural and Heritage Sites Local Tour Incentive Scheme”.
• Anticipate that a revival of the tourism industry will occur when more large-scale exhibitions and conferences return to Hong Kong after a concrete timeline is given for the reopening of the China border.

 

8. Creating a caring and inclusive Hong Kong

• Support the idea of forming “care teams” across social sectors that will help with community building.
• Recommend periodic reviews of the direction of care teams and resources so as to ensure they match changing community needs.

 

9. Expanding the Strive and Rise Programme

• Suggest the government consider increasing the quotas for young people and extending the duration of programme to more than two years.
• Propose the addition of a mentorship programme targeting teenagers from ethnic minority groups to assist with their life planning and exploration of the world around them.

 

Read the full response to the government’s 2022 Policy Address (Only Chinese version is available): https://www.ymca.org.hk/policyaddress2022

 

Co-organised by the Association’s Chai Wan Centre and Eastern District Office, “2022 Music FARMerland” will be held on 8 Jan 2023. It provides a platform for the youth to show off their musical talents and shares the young people's creativity and innovation with the community. The young musicians will band together with the famous local bands and singers, including Zpecial, Nowhere Boys and Pandora. Grasp the chance and reserve your seat now! Let’s share the joy and music with the dream chasers together!

 

 

Date: 8 Jan 2023 (Sun)

Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm

Venue: Hangout (Youth Outreach Jockey Club Building, 2 Holy Cross Path, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong)

Cost: Free of charge

Reservation: https://forms.gle/8SEdbtzr3GCQsyxeA

 

For any enquiries, please contact Mr Choi at 2557 3748 or [email protected] for details.