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Sport has all along been classified as extracurricular activities over the years. Until the recent launch of the New Senior Secondary Academic Structure "334", Physical Education has become one of the elective subjects to enrich the physical development component of the "Other Learning Experiences" for Hong Kong students.

Nevertheless, the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) has been well aware of the need to provide professional education for sports-specific training, and brought in the Bachelor of Education in Sports Training Programme (the Programme) organised by the Beijing Sport University (BSU) in 1999.

The five-year part-time degree programme consists of 25 modules, including Sports Psychology, Sports Nutrition, Biochemical Analysis of Sports Training, Statistics in Sports, Education in Sports, Physical Training, Chinese Language and Writing Skill, and Administration in Sports Training. In addition, students are required to choose a sports-specific elective, including theories and practicum, and they will be granted a Bachelor degree upon successful completion of all requirements.

On 22 October 2009, nine students were presented with Scholarships totaling HK$35,000 offered by the Hongkong Bank Foundation for their outstanding academic achievements in the 2008/2009 academic year. The list includes elite Wushu athlete Yuen Ka-ying who has snatched a total of three silver medals in the Women's Nanquan, Women's Nandao and Women's Dual Events at the 10th World Wushu Championships held in Canada in October and is now actively preparing for the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games. Other recipients are Hui Wai-man, Hui Chi-ming, Lau Kam-chung, Mok Ka-fai, Li Ka-wo, Tsang Kai-ming (also recipient of the 2008 Coaching Excellence Awards), Tse Lik-kan and Lau Siu-hung.

At the presentation ceremony, Cheng Ka-ho, the 1999 class alumni and winner of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection 2008, also cheered for his fellow schoolmates and shared his study life. "When I was an athlete, I always heard about various knowledge on Sports Science from coaches; but when I became a BSU student, the in-depth learning gave me totally new insights," said Cheng. "At that time, I always tried to put what had been learned into practice, resulting in unexpected achievements in the sporting arena."

Cheng's wushu career reached its climax when he won the first gold medal in the Men's Nangun at the 1999 World Wushu Championships and also commenced his five-year study life in the same year. "Athletes and coaches always treasure every single competition, but actually, we have to treasure every learning opportunity as well."

Being under the General Administration of Sport of China, BSU is among the first batch of key national tertiary education institutions and has nurtured many Olympic medalists and world-class athletes such as Zhang Yining, Liu Chunhong and Li Xiaopeng. Administered by the HKSI, this Programme is a unique five-year part-time bachelor degree course in sports training education offered by the BSU, with its experienced professors traveling to Hong Kong to give lessons at the HKSI.

Besides the partnership with the BSU, the Programme also receives support from the Hongkong Bank Foundation, which has committed to local coach education programmes by contributing more than HK$21 million to fund the Hong Kong Coach Education Programme since 1992, and has been offering scholarships to students of the BSU Programme starting from 2000.

The Programme has also nurtured a number of athletes, including Chiang Wai-hung and Tang Hon-sing (athletics), Choi Fong-yue (basketball), Hung Chi-chiu (swimming) and others who are sport coaches, policemen, firemen and PE instructors at tertiary institutions who have devoted themselves to professional sports training.

List of Recipients for the Hongkong Bank Foundation Scholarships (PDF)