Underprivileged Youths from Estate Basketball Programme Visits Beijing
14 underprivileged youths visited Beijing in 2023 in an exchange programme organised by InspiringHK Sports Foundation. Many who were visiting Beijing for the first time called the 10-day sports and cultural tour a dream come true, especially when meeting the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Chairman Yao Ming.
On the day before the friendly match with Beijing University of Chemical Technology, former CBA player, Chen Shi-dong, provided special training for the students and praised their technical level.
The itinerary also included numerous cultural exchange activities to enhance the students’ international perspective and cultural literacy. These activities included visiting Peking University, Tsinghua University, the Dunhuang Art Exhibition, the Palace Museum, the Olympic Tower, the National Stadium, and the National Aquatics Centre.
The students visited the Alibaba Group and Beijing Pop Mart Cultural Creative Corp., Ltd.The tour arranged a special interactive session with local artists and corporate representatives. One of the artists was internationally renowned sculpture artist Ren Zhe.
This trip to Beijing gave the students a real boost—not only did their basketball skills improve, but their mindset did too. Some students said that after this exchange, they felt more confident and believe their dreams are even closer to coming true.