Sports Grounds for Athletic Meets and Other Sports Activities

All hirers/users must observe the Pleasure Grounds Regulation (Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132), and any direction given by the management staff of the facilities.

The Hirer has to contact the officer-in-charge of the sports ground for necessary arrangements seven working days before using the sports ground. Two copies of the programmes and details of the opening/closing ceremony, if any, should be given to the officer-in-charge of the sports ground.

The Hirer shall not use the sports ground unless he/she produces the receipt and his identification document (e.g. identity cards, passports, re-entry permits bearing a photograph of the card holder etc.) for verification and registration at the office of the sports ground.

All users shall immediately vacate the sports ground when the booked session ends.

On the application by the Hirer, prior approval for extended use may be obtained from the officer-in-charge of the sports ground. Hirer may be required to pay extra charges for the extended use.

The Department may close the sports ground if -

(a)

tropical cyclone signal no. 8 or above and Rainstorm Black Warning is issued;

(b)

the sports ground is considered not suitable for use;

(c)

operationally expedient to do so; or

(d)

inclement weather is imminent.

The Hirer should ensure that every person entering the sports ground for athletic meet is a member of his organisation.

Except with the approval of the Department, the Hirer shall not be permitted to impose any charges of whatever nature on any person for using the venue.

The booking of one Hirer is not allowed to be transferred to another person.

10.

During the period of hire, the Hirer shall be responsible for maintaining the discipline and order of the participants, spectators and all other persons using the sports ground.

11.

The Hirer shall take necessary precautions and care for ensuring the safety of the athletes, spectators and all other persons using the sports ground.

12.

Two throwing events, such as Javelin and Shot Put, shall not take place simultaneously in the field.

13.

Athletes shall use the designated areas for warm-up.

14.

All heavy or pointed articles must be placed on thick rubber sheets or thick wooden boards.

15.

No food, drink or glassware shall be brought into the track or the grass pitch.

16.

Eating, drinking or smoking in the track or the grass pitch is prohibited.

17.

Sharp or hard objects must not be allowed to drag upon the track surface. Athletes shall not drag spike shoes along the track surface.

18.

Only blunt spikes or rubber shoes of specified spike length* are allowed on the track. Persons wearing shoes with longer spikes shall be refused from entering the track.
(*subject to announcement by sports ground)

19.

Shoes stained with mud are not allowed on the track.

20.

Use of liquid petroleum products on the track is strictly prohibited.

21.

The Hirer has to complete a loan form before borrowing any sports equipment.

22.

The entire area of the sports ground must be kept clean and free of refuse.

23.

All decorations, banners, signs, etc with or without advertising nature will not be allowed to be displayed within the ground unless prior approval has been obtained from the Department.

24.

If the hirer wishes to use the facilities for activities other than athletic event, he/she should seek prior permission from the venue management. The management may not permit such other use on the spot by the hirer if without prior permission.

25.

The Hirer shall ensure that the noise level in the sports ground should be kept at a reasonably low level so as to avoid causing any unnecessary disturbance to the people in the neighbouring area. The Hirer shall indemnify the Department and keep the Department fully indemnified against all claims and liabilities arising by reason of any noise nuisance generated from the sports ground during the hiring time allocated to him.

26.

Under normal circumstances, application from a hirer to transfer a confirmed booking to a different time will be deemed to be a cancellation and the fees paid will be forfeited.

27.

If a confirmed booking has to be cancelled by the management owing to inclement weather or any unforeseen circumstances in accordance with Condition 6, the hirer may apply for reallocation or refund of hire charge for the unused session(s). However, the management does not guarantee the availability of any suitable session for reallocation, for reasons including but not limited to scheduled maintenance works, prevailing booking situations of the facility or any other circumstances. In such case, refund of hire charge will be arranged. The hirer shall make the application for refund within 30 days, inclusive of the day of the original booking. No booking shall be allowed for the cancelled session that has been approved for reallocation. The Department shall not be responsible for any expenses, losses or damages caused to the Hirer or any person as a direct or indirect result of the cancellation of the booking by the Department.

28.

The Department shall not be liable to pay damage or compensation as a result of the damage to properties, death of or injury to or illness suffered by the hirer or user, his/her servants or agents resulting from any cause arising from the hire or use of the sports ground and the facilities thereon.

29.

The hirer or user shall indemnify and keep indemnified LCSD against all actions, claims and demands by any person who suffers or sustains any death, injury, loss or damage arising out of or as a result of the use of the sports ground by the hirer or any person so authorized by him due to the negligence on his part or on the part of such authorized person.

30.

The Department may refuse any person from using the sports ground if he/she does not observe the “Conditions of Use of Leisure and Cultural Services Department Sports Grounds” or remove any person from the sports ground if he/she is in breach of the Pleasure Grounds Regulation or other regulations in force. In such event, the booking will be cancelled automatically and the paid fees forfeited.

31.

For uses involving temporary structure (other than those provided by the venue), public admission and of high risk nature, District Leisure Manager/venue manager may require the hirer to take out suitable insurance coverage to protect the interests of both the hirer and the government. The prevailing level of indemnity set by LCSD shall be applied to meet the scale/nature of the use/event.

32.

For events involving overseas teams (including those from the Mainland), the applicant should consult the governing sports body, viz. the National Sports Association, for advice/agreement on the proposed use according to the practice of international sporting events to ensure that these events comply with the requirement of the governing sports body for the safety sake of the athletes and the spectators.

33.

The hirer shall not make, publish, display or disseminate event related publicity materials that contain false, biased, misleading or deceptive information. The hirer shall not expressly or by implication make reference to the Department in any of the publicity materials without prior written permission of the Department. The hirer shall indemnify and keep indemnified the Department and the Government and their servants and agents against all claims, demands, actions or proceedings arising from any breach or non-observance of this provision.

34.

On the basis of the nature of use/activity of the hirer, the management may stipulate any maximum user capacity of the booked facility on ground of public safety and management consideration.

35.

LCSD reserves the right to reject/cancel the booking without prior notice to the applicant/hirer and also to restrict the number of users and/or spectators entering the venue or to refuse entry of any persons upon health grounds or other reasons and/or impose further conditions for the use of recreation and sports facilities.

36.

(a)

The hirer or the user shall comply with, and ensure that each of their Related Person(s) shall comply with, all laws applicable to Hong Kong.

(b)

The hirer or the user and each of their Related Person(s) shall not engage or be involved in any act or activity which:

(i)

contravenes any National Security Laws;

(ii)

constitutes or causes the occurrence of an offence endangering national security;

(iii)

in the reasonable opinion of LCSD, is likely to constitute or cause the occurrence of an offence endangering national security; or

(iv)

in the reasonable opinion of LCSD, is or would be contrary to the interests of national security or the public interest of Hong Kong.

(c)

For the purpose of Clauses 36(b) and 37(b):

(i)

“national security” has the meaning given under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (6 of 2024);

(ii)

“National Security Laws” means all laws and legislation relating to safeguarding of national security which are from time to time in force in or applicable to Hong Kong, including the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as applied in Hong Kong under the Promulgation of National Law 2020 (L.N. 136 of 2020) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance;

(iii)

“offence endangering national security” has the meaning given under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance;

(iv)

“Related Person” of the hirer/user means

(A)

any person who is involved directly or indirectly and in any manner in the hiring or using of the relevant facilities and who is:

(1)

In the case if the hirer/user is a limited company, a shareholder, director, member, employee, agent or contractor of the company;

(2)

in the case if the hirer/user a company limited by guarantee, a member, director, officer, employee, agent or contractor of the company; and

(3)

in all other cases (including that if the hirer/user is an unincorporated entity), a partner, member, officer, employee, agent or contractor of the entity; and

(B)

any person admitted to the venue or facility by the hirer/user;

(v)

for the avoidance of doubt, each of the expressions “engage” and “involve” and its variants includes the act of aiding, abetting, counselling, inciting, promoting and procuring another person to perform or not to perform an act or a matter; and

(vi)

a determination by LCSD as to whether any of the circumstances described in Clauses 36(b)(iii), 36(b)(iv) and 37(b) have arisen shall be final, conclusive and binding on the hirer/user.

37.

Without prejudice to any other rights of LCSD and notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, LCSD reserves the right to cancel any booking and/or terminate the use of the venue or the facility immediately without compensation on any of the following grounds:

(a)

breach of Clause 36 above General Condition; and

(b)

in the reasonable opinion of LCSD, the use of the venue or the facility by the hirer/user and/or its Related Person(s) is or would be contrary to the interests of national security or the public interest of Hong Kong.

Other Conditions Applicable to Athletic Meets and Other Sports Activities

The Hirer should provide first aid service at the sports ground.

Non-competitors must remain on the spectator stand or outside the track and field of the sports ground. Only competitors and officials participating in the event may enter the track and field of the sports ground.

The Department may authorize any person or organisation to sell or distribute freely light refreshments or drinks inside the sports ground provided that prior permission has been obtained from the District Leisure Manager.

Other Conditions Applicable to Athletic Training

At least one person is required to be responsible to take charge of each event. The name of this person should be made known to the officer-in-charge of the venue.

The person in charge of the organisation should be a registered teacher who has completed subject-training in Physical Education, or possess a coach certificate issued by the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates or equivalent qualifications. He/she must be present during the use of the venue to coordinate all activities of the organisation and take charge of the relevant safety issues.

The leaders or persons responsible for discipline must be easily identified by wearing armbands or coloured hats.