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Sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and organised by the HKSI, the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (JCAIAS) New Cycle Kick-off Ceremony aims to celebrate the continued partnership between the HKSI and HKJC, and marking the commencement of a new chapter of the Scheme.

Building on the success of the 2023-26 cycle, the renewed Scheme will continue to provide cash incentives to Hong Kong, China athletes who achieve outstanding results at Major Multi-sport Games. The new cycle will cover the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, the Changchun 2027 Winter Universiade, the Chungcheong 2027 World University Games, the 15^th National Winter Games, as well as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Officiating guests at the Kick-off Ceremony included Mr George Tsoi Kin-pan JP, Commissioner for Sports of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau; Mr Raymond Tam Chi-yuen GBS JP, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of the HKJC; and Mr Tang King-shing GBS PDSM, Chairman of the HKSI. The event brought together members of the sports community, coaches and athletes to celebrate the launch of the new cycle.

Mr Tang King-shing said, “I am deeply grateful to the HKJC for its steadfast support of Hong Kong athletes through the new cycle of the Scheme, and for its long-standing commitment to the development of high performance sport in Hong Kong” He also expressed his gratitude to the Government and the sports community for their collective efforts in advancing elite sports and nurturing generations of outstanding athletes.

Mr Raymond Tam Chi-yuen noted that the Club has long promoted sport at the community and elite levels. Its contributions range from partnering with the Government to establish the HKSI (formerly the Jubilee Sports Centre) and establishing a fund to support elite athletes’ training and career development, to jointly launching the Sports Science and Research Funding Scheme with the Government in recent years to strengthen Hong Kong athletes’ competitiveness. The JCAIAS was launched to recognise Hong Kong, China athletes for their outstanding achievements at major sporting events. He added that the continued support for JCAIAS will provide a strong and reliable foundation for more local athletes to pursue excellence.

The Ceremony also featured sharing by athletes who have been supported by the Scheme, including swimmer Siobhan Haughey, wushu athlete Hui Tak-yan and Para table tennis athlete Pang Wing-ka. Through conversations on elite preparation, teamwork and personal growth, they reflected on the people, opportunities and support that have helped shape their sporting journeys.

Addressing the junior athletes in attendance, Siobhan Haughey, who won 4 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze medals in swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the 19^th Asian Games Hangzhou, and the 15^th National Games, shared the importance of focusing on the process rather than results alone, while remaining humble. “I would encourage young athletes to appreciate the support they have around them, whether from coaches, teammates, family or anyone who has helped them grow.”

Hui Tak-yan, who netted a full set of gold, silver and bronze medals in wushu across the Chengdu 2021 World University Games and the 19^th Asian Games Hangzhou, shared, “What makes the incentive scheme meaningful is not only the practical support it provides, but also the recognition it gives to the effort and dedication that athletes invest in their pursuit of excellence. Knowing that our commitment and perseverance are valued is a great encouragement to athletes.”

Pang Wing-ka, a multiple medal winner in Para table tennis at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games and the 12^th National Games for Persons with Disabilities, shared, “I have been fortunate to receive support from my National Sports Association, my university, the HKJC and the HKSI throughout my journey, enabling me to pursue both my sporting and academic aspirations. I hope to one day pass on the encouragement and support I have received to others.”

The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games will be held from 19 September to 4 October in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan. Cash incentives under the Scheme for Hong Kong medallists are listed as follows (HK$):

Events Achievements	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
Individual Event	1,000,000	500,000	250,000
Team Event	2,000,000	1,000,000	500,000

Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme

Established by the HKSI in 1994, the Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme offers cash incentives to outstanding local athletes competing at Major Games, recognising their dedication and achievements.

In 2026, the HKJC and HKSI launched a new cycle of the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme, building on the success of the 2023-26 cycle, during which more than 220 athletes received incentive awards totalling over HK$94.66 million. This new cycle continues to provide financial incentives to recognise outstanding performances by Hong Kong, China athletes at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, World University Games, Winter World University Games, Asian Games, Asian Para Games and National Winter Games.