People & Purpose Theatre

Beyond the Burn: Rethinking Sports in Hong Kong’s Boiling Era

12 Sep (Fri) Day 2 : 15:30 – 16:15

Full Programme
People and Purpose Theatre

As Hong Kong faces record-breaking temperatures and prolonged heatwaves, the city’s sports culture and public health are under threat. From cancelled youth training sessions to heatstroke risks for outdoor workers, extreme heat is disrupting lives and livelihoods. This panel to discuss how rising temperatures are altering sports participation, safety and development. The disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups and innovative solutions to adapt sports participation.

Speakers

Moraine Chan

Laureus Sport For Good Foundation

APAC development

Moraine is currently engaged with the Laureus Sport For Good Foundation in partnerships, fundraising, and development for the Asia-Pacific region. Coming from a strong sporting heritage, her journey began as a junior national track and field athlete, a key contributor to her passion for pursuing sustainable sport for development and youth empowerment.

Throughout her professional career, Moraine has extensive experience in commercial marketing and event management, giving her opportunities to collaborated with commercial brands and National Sports Associations in Hong Kong, including M-Mark events, and many other local and regional sports initiatives and events. Presently, she serves as a trusted advisor for several sports and youth development NGOs, including the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, Hong Kong Water Sports Council, and The Hong Kong Award for Young People, actively contributing to development endeavours in Hong Kong. Fuelled by a profound passion for instigating positive transformations, Moraine strive to harness the unifying influence of sports to reshape communities.

Dr. Chi-Ching Gary Chow

The Education University of Hong Kong

Associate Professor

Dr. Gary Chow Chi-Ching is an Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education (HPE) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). His academic career is distinguished by a strong focus on physical education pedagogy, teacher development, and the integration of sports science into educational practice. His interdisciplinary research combines postural control, motor learning, and educational technology to enhance teaching effectiveness and promote lifelong participation in physical activity.

Dr. Chow is deeply committed to advancing the quality of physical education in Hong Kong and the region. He plays a key role in curriculum development, mentors early-career educators, and advocates for evidence-based, student-centered teaching practices. His educational philosophy emphasizes active engagement, holistic development, and the meaningful application of theory to practice.”

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

I believe every child should have equal opportunities to participate in sports. Through quality education, they can all learn, grow, and become a healthier, stronger generation for the future.

Rocky Chow

Rugby For Good

Executive Director

Rocky is a sports industry leader and Executive Director of Rugby For Good, Hong Kong’s first Section 88-approved sports charity, empowering underrepresented youth through rugby-based social inclusion and wellbeing initiatives. Since joining Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) in 2015, he has driven community growth, holding roles as Chief Community Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, and General Manager of Marketing, managing strategic and operational facets of the organization.

With 20+ years of operational expertise, Rocky bridges commercial strategy and grassroots impact, refined through senior leadership at global fitness chains, including a 16-year tenure at California Fitness. A trailblazer in Hong Kong rugby, he made history as one of the first local players in the first-division Tigers RFC and later represented the Hong Kong Dragons on international tours in the 1990s.

His legacy merges sport, business, and social change, leveraging rugby as a catalyst for equitable community development.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025

  • Champion Green Sports Practices for our events in Hong Kong.
  • Using sport as a tool to enhance social and emotional development for children and youth in Hong Kong.

Christine Loh

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment

Chief Development Strategist at the Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is a leading voice on public policy, climate governance and sustainable development in Hong Kong, with experience spanning government, the legislature, think tanks, business and academia. Loh was Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government from 2012 to 2017, where she worked on air quality, climate change, energy, nature conservation and stakeholder engagement. She also served as Special Consultant to the Chief Executive’s Office on ecological civilization and the Greater Bay Area from 2019 to 2020. Earlier in her career, she was a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. At HKUST, Professor Loh focuses on climate policy, sustainability transitions, green finance, governance and regional cooperation. She is also a published author and frequent commentator on environmental policy, climate risk, China and Hong Kong affairs. She currently serves on the board of Towngas Smart Energy and is a Scholar in Residence at Asia Society Hong Kong from 2023 to 2026.

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