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11.
Wong is elected
Chairman of Asian Racing Fed.
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03/03/2003 |
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Chief
Executive of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Lawrence Wong was today elected
Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) at the 29th Asian Racing
Conference (ARC) in Auckland, New Zealand.
Mr Wong is now at the helm of an organisation with three seats on the Executive
Council of International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
Mr Bob Charley, Chairman of the Australian Racing Board, was elected
Vice-Chairman of the ARF, along with Mr Naoki Koike, who will become the head of
the Japan Racing Association later this month.
This is most prominent position that Hong Kong has ever held in international
racing. The ARF comprises 20 controlling bodies of horseracing stretching from
Hong Kong to Turkey, and Australia to South Africa.
Accepting his new position, Mr Wong said: "I am very honoured to take on a
role of great importance to our Federation, and also as I am following in the
footsteps of Murray Acklin, a great leader from New Zealand who helped grant
this body a much louder voice in world horseracing. Our sport owes him a debt of
thanks."
He added: "No doubt racing will deal with important issues over the coming
years, but surely none will be as pressing as the threat posed to the racing's
very fabric by unlimited, unregulated and uncontrolled betting companies that
contribute nothing to our sport, and nothing to society.
"Together racing's governing bodies must take immediate and firm action
against these offshore operators. I urge ARF members not just to take a united
front against these parasitical and illegal pirates that threaten racing's
integrity, but also to lobby their respective governments to help arrest this
problem," Mr Wong said.
All 20 nations unanimously adopted in principle the Good Neighbour Policy which
says no organisation will accept bets from residents in the other jurisdiction
and neither will solicit, market or advertise wagering without prior
authorisation from the other jurisdiction.
ARF nations contribute 66% of total betting turnover globally, race for 53% of
the world's racing stakes, and feature almost 40% of the world's racing
population.
Its member countries are Australia, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea,
Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab
Emirates.
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