HONG KONG, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University pledged its support to 2009 East Asian Games here on Wednesday by providing physiotherapy services to athletes.

    It was released in a ceremony in campus that during the Games, with the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Center, the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (FHSS) of Polytechnic University would be providing professional physiotherapy and vision assessment services for all participating athletes from nine countries and regions of East Asia.

    Professor George Woo, Dean of FHSS, said that during Dec. 2 to 13, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sports Medicine and Health Sciences Center would be partnering with the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association to coordinate a total of more than 150 practicing physiotherapists, staff and physiotherapy students to provide on-field services to players of tennis, badminton, hockey and volleyball competitions in East Asian Games.

    The Polytechnic University has a wealth of experience in serving professional athletes. A group of physiotherapists from the University provided rehabilitation-related services for China's national badminton, gymnastics and swimming teams before the Olympic Games 2008, helping veterans like Zhang Ning to reign the badminton women's single title at the age of 32.

    The fifth edition of East Asian Games featuring about 2,300 athletes will be held first time in Hong Kong from Dec. 5-13.