A civil service career to fulfil goals

Recalling how he joined the civil service, Mr Wong reminisced about his secondary school years and said that “As a member of Hong Kong Red Cross, I often provided support for organising activities. It was an interesting yet challenging experience.” In 1983, he joined the Government as Assistant Recreation and Sports Officer II after graduating from tertiary institution and started his 35-year career as a civil servant.

The scope of Mr Wong’s work portfolio expanded progressively from planning for recreational activities (such as swimming and football courses) to implementation of the Sports Subvention Scheme upon his promotion to Senior Leisure Services Manager. This position enabled him to gain experience in a broad spectrum of areas and work closely with a number of national sports associations to organise various sports events together. In 2017, LCSD provided sterling support to the Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament, a major event to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland. Apart from inviting internationally-acclaimed snooker players like Mr Ronnie O’Sullivan to join the competition, Mr Wong was also responsible for co-ordinating venue-related matters and making arrangements for reception of distinguished guests. He recalled that the preparatory process was fraught with challenges, in particular those in relation to planning schedule for world-class snooker players, and handling co-ordination work of television broadcasting, etc.

Life is as unpredictable as the weather. Mr Wong mentioned an unexpected episode on the day of the final competition. In the early hours on that day, typhoon signal No. 8 was issued and the event was subject to changes. “In view of the hectic schedule of snooker stars and considering that some of them had to leave Hong Kong right after the event at night, it was almost impossible to postpone the match.” In response to such an emergency, the organiser promptly explored contingency plans, including closed-door competition and live television broadcasting. Thankfully, typhoon signal No. 8 was cancelled in time, and after co-ordination by relevant parties, the match commenced at 3 p.m. the same day, only an hour behind schedule. A large crowd of ticket holders queued up early for the long-awaited competition to see the thrilling match between snooker stars. “Through this experience, I have profoundly understood that close communication and flexible response are of paramount importance in organising large-scale events. All efforts made were worthwhile as the tournament was widely acclaimed and the audience had best-ever experiences.”

In all these years, Mr Wong never spared himself in making contribution to the sports field. He said that his greatest satisfaction came from the smiling faces of the public. “Some years ago, I was tasked with the preparatory work for a visit by a delegation of Mainland gold medalists to Hong Kong. Despite the tight schedule of preparation, I found the experience rewarding and exhilarating as I saw the interactions between the general public and the athletes as well as their radiant smiles. These memorable moments have reinforced my belief in the need to promote the sports culture in our community.”

After retiring in 2018, Mr Wong continued to serve in LCSD for nearly five years under the Post-retirement Service Contract Scheme, during which he was mainly responsible for the project of the Territory-wide Physical Fitness Survey for the Community. The survey covered people of different age groups across Hong Kong, aiming to analyse the relationship between the physical exercise pattern and the physical fitness of people through questionnaire surveys and fitness tests. “I studied sociology at tertiary institution and gained some insights into conducting surveys. I also worked out regularly, so I was particularly interested in this project.” He said the survey found that some members of the public did not meet the daily physical activity level as recommended by the World Health Organization. In view of this, he has made greater efforts in promoting sports for all, and has also led by example in participating in sports and encouraging others to do regular exercise.

Promoting sports and pursuing professional knowledge

When mentioning his personal experience in sports, Mr Wong said with a chuckle that he was not talented at sports during his secondary school years. It was not until he joined LCSD that he came to explore the fun world of sports. “I am not as strong and nimble as an athlete. However, working in LCSD gave me ample opportunities to get to know different types of sports, enabling me to pursue sports activities with vigour over time and become fascinated by the amazing world of sports.”

In order to enhance his professional knowledge of sports, he became a qualified coach/trainer for a number of sports activities. “I studied a football referee course, which was of great help to me in organising football matches and arranging competition schedules. Also, I am a qualified fitness trainer and the knowledge learnt came in useful as one of my duties was to monitor the fitness programmes. I could communicate with people in the sports sector effectively as we spoke the same language.”

Moreover, Mr Wong has developed immense interest in rugby. “I started out as a parent accompanying my kid to attend rugby lessons, and then became a ‘parent-cum-coach’ myself. Later on, I established a rugby club with other parents sharing the same interest to promote rugby culture.” The main goal of the club is to promote “touch rugby” for enjoyment by more people as it is a sports game with minimal physical contact among players and suitable for all age groups and mixed teams.

After retirement, he continues to teach “touch rugby” in schools, reaching out to students of different backgrounds. “We expect that students can develop team spirit through learning this type of sports, and social interaction can also be promoted.” He readily admitted that he enjoyed the time spent together with children. It is hoped that young players can learn the ethnical culture and disciplines in sports as well as the importance of respecting referees and teammates.

Apart from the passion for rugby, Mr Wong is also an avid long-distance runner. “I started making dedicated efforts to practise running in my forties. At first, I took part in marathons simply to set a goal for myself and encourage myself to keep on practising.” He has participated in various marathons held in different places like Japan and Taiwan for many times.

Among all the races, the most memorable experience for Mr Wong was the Tokyo Marathon in 2016. “It was one of the six World Marathon Majors. As a first-timer, I turned out to be a ballot winner. How fortunate! The event was impressively large-scale and full of excitement. When we went by, engaging performances were staged by primary school students to cheer us on. Some members of the public also distributed bottled beverages to the runners on their own initiative. The enthusiastic support shown by the spectators was a great encouragement to all participants. The joyful atmosphere throughout the event in the city was truly unforgettable.”

Embracing new opportunities in a new chapter

Mr Wong leads a fulfilling life after retirement. He works out regularly and actively serves the community as a volunteer. “I focus on two types of volunteer services. The first is to provide photo-shooting service for volunteer activities organised by the Agency for Volunteer Service as a member in its photography team, one of the specialised talent teams. The second is about environmental protection, such as cleaning of shorelines and conservation of villages.” Through volunteering, he can contribute to the community, make friends with like-minded people and have a wider social circle after retirement.

“My long-held goal is to conquer the Himalayas.” To Mr Wong, retirement is another fascinating chapter for him to pursue his dreams. “I made it to the top of Mount Fuji earlier, and the life-changing experience has boosted my confidence in facing more daunting challenges. Climbing the Himalayas is always on my wish list and I am exploring suitable routes and opportunities. Hopefully, I can take on this life challenge soon.”