The evidence of this is widespread. For example, two of the sports I have close involvement with, triathlon and rugby, have shown massive growth in the period from 2000 to 2004. The most impressive thing is the increase in the number of clubs or teams as the fundamental unit for the growth.

The more clubs that are formed the less dependent that sport becomes on the National Sports Association (NSA) and the more firmly rooted it is in the community. With the growth of clubs there are more leaders, organisers, coaches and supporters. The catalyst for further growth and success is now firmly established. One of the noticeable side effects is that people taking part in these clubs are really enjoying themselves.

The other outstanding feature is that parents and children are taking part together. The traditional reluctance of parents letting their children take part in sports, as this detracts from study, appears to be breaking down.

A simple example is the annual Aquathon Championships in Repulse Bay. The participation has grown rapidly from 60 people to over 600, with 400 under the age of 16 and many of the parents also taking place in the swim-run event. This also illustrates how across many sports the huge numbers of young people taking part provide an enormous base for future growth of sport.

Another feature is the continued participation of people as they age. The 'masters' or 'veterans' categories of swimming, athletics, triathlon and indoor rowing events show that as people have aged they are continuing to compete into their 60s and 70s. These age group categories show continued growth in numbers.

Not only are there more older people participating, but many top athletes from the 1980s and 90s are now qualified coaches and have their own coaching schools, outside the NSA system. The professional input they provide is resulting in better prepared athletes, even those taking part for social or recreational reasons, and this is noticeable in the improved quality, or better preparedness, of people taking part in events like the winter half marathon series and winter duathlon series.

The success of athletes such as Lee Lai-shan in windsurfing, Wong Kam-po in cycling, Chan Fuk-ping in rugby and Daniel Lee Chi-wo in triathlon have provided role models which help reinforce the image of success at sport being socially acceptable.

Lee, who took part in sport at a top level while obtaining a degree from Chinese University, is taking part on the world circuit as a successful professional triathlete. How many of the new young triathletes have seen Daniel make it to the Olympics and accepted that as an achievable objective for their own lives?

The range of sports available has also increased. The traditional mainstays of sports organisation and planning are being supplemented, and possibly superseded, by more interesting and exciting events.

Last month on one Sunday there was a choice between a duathlon in Tai Po, a catchwater distance race in Yuen Long and an adventure race in Repulse Bay. Add to that international Gaelic football, American football and Australian Rules football competitions and the sporting scene gets a truly international flavour.

Extreme sports also rank high, with the sailing and mountain racing Four Peaks Race, the gruelling Mountain Marathon Series, the adventure race from Ma On Shan to Tsim Sha Tsui, and the ultimate Trailwalker race. Softball and frisby compete with rugby and soccer for pitches.

The increased participation rate can be seen by events being full weeks before the date. The AVOHK China Coast Marathon and Community Chest Race were for the first time this year fully booked with 2,000 competitors well before race day.

With this increase in activity pressure is growing on sports facilities. Hockey, soccer and rugby face a critical shortage of pitches as the number of clubs and participants grows. However, much of the non-traditional sport growth is accommodated by facilities which are actually designed for other purposes.

The most popular sports venue is Brides Pool Road in Tai Po, which is the major venue for distance running races, triathlons and other multi-sport races and cycling. In fact this road and Shek O Road are major training venues for distance runners and cyclists who tend to dominate on Sunday mornings.

But the most intensively used training facilities are probably the Happy Valley Jockey Club ambulance track and Bowen Road. Hundreds of athletes use these and other roads or trails on a daily basis, yet they are not intended or designed for this purpose.

The informal organisation of sports is perhaps typified by the Yau Yee Soccer League which is a serious social soccer competition of four leagues with a total of 48 teams. Promotion and relegation takes place between the divisions and there is a waiting list for new teams to join.

The significance of this growth of sports participation in the past two to three years is being underestimated. This is not a trend growth but a major jump which could not have been predicted. When changes in social attitudes and activities change so rapidly and unexpectedly there is often an unexpected cause. It is likely that Sars played a major part in promoting this change, but it was facilitated by changing attitudes towards what is considered a good and balanced education. Sars and the advice that went with it was to be active, fit and spend more time outdoors, and that is what people of all ages are now doing in increasingly greater numbers.

Sustained growth is probable, quality of competition will improve, but existing facilities, organisational and funding structures are unlikely to cope with these increases.

While the growth of sports participation is becoming more community based and taking place outside the traditional sports structure, the government has recently put in place a more bureaucratic sports organisation based on the Sports Commission.

This structure would appear to be moving in the opposite direction to sport itself, so one of the first challenges for the Sports Commission must be to understand the massive impact of these social changes and how inadequate things will be in the next 10 years unless it also introduces major changes.