"The integration of PE and curriculum is a crucial step for China to stay connected with global education," said Cheng King Leung, principal of the Affiliated School of Jinan University for Hong Kong and Macao Students (ASJ).

(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

"Sports activity will grant students the vitality of 'fortitude, seriousness and perseverance'," Cheng said. "Students will not only win prizes; they would also gain experience and vision."

On November 17, the ASJ ushered in the first campus sports meeting since the establishment of the school. Children from different classes, wearing various beautiful ethnic costumes, marched in step and sang and danced in front of the podium. When principal Cheng announced the opening, all the children responded with warm applause, and then raised their hands to catch the colorful paper fireworks falling in the sky.

(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

Known as the father of beach volleyball in Hong Kong, Cheng King Leung was formerly the vice principal of Pui Ching Middle School. He is also the president of the Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association and the TV volleyball commentator King Sir. On September 14, Cheng, as the head of the Hong Kong delegation of the 14th National Games, led 169 Hong Kong athletes to compete in 18 sports items.

Cheng once put forward a "sports rising star garden" philosophy, which refers to conducting game based physical education activities in the preschool period, exposing students to different sport programs in the primary years, and cultivating specialized athletic skills in the junior high school years.

"Our ultimate goal is to let every child have a sport that they like and can keep exercising in the rest of their lives," Cheng said, "By doing sport, they can have fun, become confident, and socialize with others."When mentioning the 14th National Games, Cheng believes that the next national games, which will be jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in 2025, will provide a good platform for the combination of three regions, and will also attract more residents to enjoy the sports.

In addition, Cheng also emphasized that scientific and technological elements can be added into students' physical education. He introduced a Hong Kong company that is developing a long-distance running software that could record how far a student ran throughout his life. "All running data can be accumulated, therefore students can continuously see their progress and persist in running for life."

Author: Ariel

Editor: Monica, Jerry