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To promote sports among the general public, Link is hosting a six-district indoor cycling competition - “Tour de LINK” – through the month of August. The event is open to all and is aimed at promoting cycling and building a healthier community. The first round of the competition, held in Kai Tin Shopping Centre, Lok Fu Place, and Tin Yiu Plaza, has been well-received. The second round will run from the 19th to the 29th of August at Oi Man Plaza, TKO Spot, and Wan Chui Shopping Centre.
To our surprises, the competition has attracted many young children, with some parents saying that they were inspired by Lee Wai-sze’s glorious achievement at the Olympics. The parents are pleased that their children choose to leave their favourite video games and opt instead for the bike! For the first-round, Mr Leung from Lam Tin is “top-rider”, who pedalled a total of 23 times in three days.
Mr Leung, a resident from Lam Tin who admitted to having an “inactive lifestyle,” rode a total of 23 times in three days. He said he only took part in the competition because his family encouraged him to exercise more.
“I come here every day because it is just so convenient,” Mr Leung said, adding that he wasn’t aiming at winning and had instead set several goals for himself to improve gradually. Separately, George, who comes from Romania and lives in Lam Tin, sprinted over 2,341 metres in five minutes, a result that place him among the top three in the district.
Meanwhile, at the Lok Fu Plaza, a boy named Theo is pedalling hard to break his own record. His mother recounts how he begged her to bring him to cycle at the mall after watching Lee Wai-sze’s medal-winning performance. Theo has taken part in the competition for three consecutive days: passing 1,000 metres on the first day, 1,100 metres on the second, and breaking the 1200-metre mark on the third! While the continuous improvement gives him a sense of achievement, it is even more important that he keeps beating his own records, said Theo's mother, who is pleased to see such meaningful activities being held at the Link’s mall. “The location is convenient for residents to exercise, and indoor bicycles are safer for children,” she said.
The community in Tin Shui Wai are also getting involved. Some in the neighbourhood even bring their whole family to Tin Yiu Plaza for the challenge. We spoke to Ms Fu, who pointed out that her children are sports enthusiasts and that she has always encouraged them to try new things. Because of the pandemic, they have been forced to cut down on exercising, so when they heard about the cycling tournament at the Link's malls, they immediately got excited and decided to give it a try! "It is great that my children are no longer stuck with their video games at home!"
