The ‘21st Century Cup’ shines a light on linguistic talent and fosters cross-cultural connections among over 1,200 participants

The “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition drew to a successful close in its seventh Hong Kong regional final on Saturday, with guests at the awards ceremony praising the competition for offering young minds a global perspective, and deepening ties with their Chinese mainland peers.

This year, the regional contest, organized by China Daily and VDO English — the education arm of China Daily Hong Kong — drew over 1,200 students from around 200 schools across the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Following the finals held on Saturday morning, about 350 contestants, their parents and teachers as well as leading representatives of the local education, commercial, and media sectors, gathered at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the afternoon for the awards ceremony.

READ MORE: HK students put English-speaking skills to the test in regional final

This year’s competition covered six categories, ranging from kindergarten children to university students.

It also featured a fresh invitational contest, with 150 mainland students coming to Hong Kong to compete while embarking on a three-day cultural exploration of the city and enjoying valuable interactions with their Hong Kong counterparts. Nine winners of the invitational contest joined an exhibition session during Saturday’s finals to showcase their speaking skills.

A total of 34 finalists were awarded, including Singh Harpreet from the University of Hong Kong, who topped the university category; Lew Ching-nam, a student from ELCHK Lutheran Academy who won the senior secondary school category; and Kola Zaynab of HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College, who topped the junior secondary school category.

Titles in the senior primary school, junior primary school, and kindergarten categories respectively went to Aldon So Yu-hang from Ying Wa Primary School; Fergus Wong Yin-bong from La Salle Primary School; and Skya Kelsie Ng from Victoria Nursery (Harbour Heights).

Speaking at the ceremony, Hong Kong’s Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing called the competition an extraordinary program designed to nurture student talent and deepen their connections with peers from across the nation.

He said the event provided students with unique opportunities to engage in meaningful exchanges, foster friendships, and strengthen their appreciation for the country’s remarkable achievements in science, innovation, technology, and the humanities.

The contest also offered students a global perspective, a lifelong passion for learning, and a positive mindset, Cheuk said.

He said he firmly believes that by taking part, budding talents would become excellent storytellers, narrating not only the successes of Hong Kong but also the greatness of the principle of “one country, two systems”.

In his welcome remarks, Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group, and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong Edition, said the regional contest has scaled new heights in its seventh year with unprecedented participation from the university category and the positive response to the introduction of the kindergarten category last year.

Zhou said the invitational contest has built a fantastic bridge to further solidify exchanges between Hong Kong and mainland students.

Huang Jingrui, a spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR and director-general of the office’s media and public relations department, praised the students’ excellent performance, saying he was inspired by the younger generation’s energy.

Huang, who was a judge in the competition, urged Hong Kong students to maintain their advantages in the English language. He said he hopes the contest to encourage more local students to learn English and tell Hong Kong stories better in English.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said the contest is a great opportunity for students to build confidence, which is essential for their personal growth.

Under Secretary for Education Jeff Sze Chun-fai said he was impressed by the students’ sharing of their continuous improvement from past experiences.

He highlighted the SAR’s biliterate and trilingual language policy, which values Cantonese, Mandarin, and English in school education, and emphasized the significance of improving students’ English-speaking abilities, which the competition facilitates.

Also attending the awards ceremony was Zhang Zhihua, director-general of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and Lin Nan, deputy director-general of the department of publicity, cultural and sports affairs at the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.

Frank Liu, a training consultant from the English-Speaking Union Hong Kong and a judge of the kindergarten and primary school categories, expressed his appreciation for the competition’s continuous innovation in fostering student expression. “I like the way that the competition keeps introducing new ideas and new ways to help students express themselves,” he said.

Young voices heard

Reflecting on the competition, Singh, the champion in the university category, highlighted the open-ended nature of this year’s topics, which allowed participants to contemplate their perspectives on and appreciation for traditional culture.

“I talked about filial piety, a traditional culture that I feel like is really integral to Chinese ancestors and a Chinese ancestral heritage,” he recalled.

Singh will represent the SAR in the National Grand Final scheduled for later this year on the mainland. Winners of other categories will also have the opportunity to participate in the Elite National English Speaking Exchange Program and various study tours.

So, the champion in the senior primary category, praised the competition for encouraging students to think creatively. He said the competition experience has helped him develop skills in impromptu speaking and stage presence, while broadening his horizons.

Wendy Wong, mother of a contestant in the junior secondary category, said she believes the event will help establish a good foundation for her child’s future academic development.

“It’s a good platform, well-organized, to let my child have the opportunity to do public speaking as well as gain confidence among peers,” she said.

Launched in 1996, the “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition aims to build up students’ English-speaking abilities, cultivate their innovative spirit, and broaden their international perspectives. The Hong Kong regional competition made its debut in 2017.

ASLO READ: Future orators

The nationwide competition attracts an average of more than one million participants from around the country each year.

This year’s Hong Kong contest was sponsored by Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group; Nancy Lee Si-lin, director of CL Production Ltd; Hong Kong Community Foundation Ltd; CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd; The Better Hong Kong Foundation; Lu and Marisa Charitable Foundation; Fly High Foundation; See Change Education; and Ocean Park Hong Kong.

The “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition (Hong Kong) Winners List 2024

Champions

1.    Kindergarten Category: Skya Kelsie Ng, Victoria Nursery (Harbour Heights)

2.    Junior Primary School Category: Wong Yin-bong, Fergus, La Salle Primary School

3.    Senior Primary School Category: So Yu-hang, Aldon, Ying Wa Primary School

4.    Junior Secondary School Category: Kola Zaynab, HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College

5.    Senior Secondary School Category: Lew Ching-nam, ELCHK Lutheran Academy

6.    University Category: Singh Harpreet, The University of Hong Kong

First Runners-up

1.    Kindergarten Category: Andrew Chan Pui-hei, Braemar Hill Nursery School

2.    Junior Primary School Category: Agnes Leung, St. Mary’s Canossian School

3.    Senior Primary School Category: Cecilia Hong, Hong Kong International School

4.    Junior Secondary School Category: Leung Sen-fung, St. Stephen’s College

5.    Senior Secondary School Category: Meerab Malik, St. Rose of Lima’s College

6.    University Category: Rudaba Rubaiyath, The University of Hong Kong

Second Runners-up

1.    Kindergarten Category: Authur Leung, St. Rose of Lima’s Kindergarten

2.    Junior Primary School Category: Su Zi-cheng, Theodore, St. Stephen’s College

3.    Senior Primary School Category: Lam Hoi-ching, Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten

4.    Junior Secondary School Category: Clarisse Poon, St. Paul’s Co-educational College

5.    Senior Secondary School Category: Pun Hau-wah, PLK Centenary Li Shiu Chung Memorial College

6.    University Category: Leung Chak-lam, The Education University of Hong Kong

Special Awards: Best Impromptu Speaker

1.    Junior Secondary School Category: Ting Tsz-woon, Diocesan Boys’ School

2.    Senior Secondary School Category: Xiao Ka-yee, Brianna, Diocesan Girls’ School

3.    University Category: Airan Wen, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Special Awards: Best Manner Speaker

1.    Junior Secondary School Category: Calissa Poon, Diocesan Girls’ School

2.    Senior Secondary School Category: Ho Mei-yee, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary

3.    University Category: Wan Sin-ying, The University of Hong Kong

Contact the writers at lindaxi@chinadailyhk.com