Supporting Athletes

The HKSI recognises the importance of a whole-person approach to athlete development. It offers athletes educational and career planning services to cater to their different needs at various stages of their sporting careers.

Inaugurated in 2015, the Partnership School Programme (PSP) with the English Schools Foundation and Lam Tai Fai College provides a tailor-made curriculum to meet young athletes’ training and education needs, enabling them to train full-time while studying at senior secondary level. In the 2023/24 academic year, a class of 11 athletes graduated from the PSP, and among them, seven were enrolled in tertiary institutions. In addition to this, 23 athletes successfully joined the PSP for the 2024/25 academic year. As at 31 March 2025, a total of 65 athletes were studying under the programme.

The HKSI has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities and four self-financing tertiary institutions, facilitating the HKSI to nominate full-time Scholarship Athletes to apply for full-time undergraduate degrees, postgraduate programmes and/or sub-degree programmes (where applicable) at the respective tertiary institutions.

A total of 67 athletes were admitted to higher diploma, undergraduate or postgraduate programmes in the 2024/25 academic year under these MOUs.

Building on these collaborations, the UGC launched the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission (SALSA) Scheme in 2022 to facilitate the admission of elite athletes to UGC-funded universities in the 2022/23 to 2024/25 triennium and provide focused, multi-pronged and personalised learning support to the athletes.

Fourteen introduction sessions and campus visits were organised in collaboration with UGC-funded universities and self-financing tertiary institutions. As a result, a total of 50 athletes were admitted to tertiary study exclusively through the SALSA Scheme in the 2024/25 academic year.

The HKSI also provides general education and career planning services to athletes, such as tutorial support, continuing education subsidies, and scholarships, to support a total of 407 athletes as of 31 March 2025.

The Government’s injection of HK$250 million into the Hong Kong Athletes Fund (HKAF) has strengthened support for athletes’ dual career development. This has enabled the education grant under the HKAF to be greatly enhanced, including relaxing the eligibility threshold, expanding the scope of eligible study programmes, increasing the number of funded programmes and raising the grant ceiling. A new sports certificate grant has also been introduced to support interested athletes in pursuing sports-related certificates. Athletes may apply for grants to cover the tuition fees as well as subsistence allowances. In 2024/25, HK$8.93 million of funding was approved to cover the tuition fees of 60 athletes up to the 2029/30 academic year, to support their pursuit of post-secondary studies and sports-certificate courses through the Education Grant and Sports Certificate Grant.

In addition to educational support, the HKSI also helps elite athletes prepare for their career transition through the Elite Athletes Apprenticeship Programme. With enhanced support introduced in 2020/21, the programme not only enables elite athletes who plan to retire within two years to develop coaching skills and gain practical coaching experience, but also enriches their experience in administration, diversifying their post-athletic career options. The programme has benefited 47 athletes since its launch in 2008.

The Elite Athletes Performance Recognition Scheme, set up in 2015 under the HKAF, has been enhanced effective from 2020/21 with a significant increase in grant levels, including an increase of 165% in the highest level of grant to recognise athletes’ achievements and provide greater retirement support, enabling them to pursue a second career after retiring from high-level sporting competitions. The scheme has benefited 117 athletes to date. In 2024/25, the scheme approved HK$20.03 million for 24 retired athletes.