Mrs (Stella) Lau, Ms (Carmen) Kan, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls:

It gives me great pleasure to be here to present the BOCHK Bauhinia Bowl Award to students and schools for their excellent performance in the inter-school sports competitions.

Let me, first of all, extend my warmest congratulations to all the winners on their outstanding achievements and sportsmanship. With the solid foundation you have built, I am sure you will keep up with your good work and will strive to achieve even better results in future.

As some people have said before (and which I agree), sports is one of the many splendid things in life. Sports activities give us fun and joy, facilitate us to build friendship, and enable us to maintain good health. Equally pertinent is the observation that sports can often be a reflection of life.

Today, we see the final result of success of those who did well in the competitions. We naturally enjoy such moments of glory. What we do not see today are the steadfast determination, strategic planning, self-discipline and all the hard work that had been put in before a sports participant becomes a champion.

In sports competitions, no one can always be the winner. Rather, success is often built on the experience of failure. As sports commentators like to say, every giant in the sports world has a locker room story. There were times they sat there in the dark with despair and self-doubt. But when the time came, they went out to the arena of their chosen sports and did their very best; win or lose, they learnt and gained from their experience with no regret.

The same is true in life. We see the glorious moments of Olympic champions, movie stars, scientists, professionals, business leaders and other key figures in the community. What we do not see are the hard works, ordeals and failures they have gone through. In life, as in sports, you do not always win. When you win, you strive to do better in the next game. If you lose, you pick up your spirit, learn from the experience and move on. We are naturally proud of children and students who are winners; but parents, teachers and the community as a whole are also proud of people who have the courage and tenacity to face defeat, to learn from failure and to move on. Boys and girls, Hong Kong need a young generation that is healthy, rational, positive and that can stand up to challenges; and we shall support each other as we are all sportsmen in one sense or another.

Before closing, may I express my gratitude to the Hong Kong and Kowloon Secondary Schools Regional Committee of the Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation for their commitment in providing our students with good opportunities to apply their ability and to shine. Of course, big hands should also be given to all the teachers and parents, who are the unsung heroes, and also BOCHK for their unfailing support to these young people to earn themselves such valuable experiences in life. On this note, may I wish you all every success in your future sports life and also in whatever future ventures you may choose to embark on. Thank you very much.

Ends/Friday, Jul 05, 2013