亦刊於
《主場新聞》
每逢馬拉松前，渣馬都安排一些傷殘運動員，穿上印有渣馬商標的衣服接受訪問，宣揚他們自強不息的精神，順便幫渣馬宣傳。聽記者朋友說，渣馬昨天安排了一個關於輪椅賽的「罐頭」採訪，找了雅麗珊郡主學校的學生，談談他們備戰輪椅賽。
我每次看到這些訪問都會扯火，更可惜的是傳媒都做了啦啦隊，無人懂得批判虛偽的渣馬。
請各位朋友，特別是要採訪渣馬的記者，花些少時間，讀讀以下兩封信件，一封是輪椅運動員 Ajmal Samuel 本年二月廿八日，寫給渣打香港總裁洪丕正的信；另一封是英國輪椅運動員 Rob Holliday 於本年渣馬後，寫給香港傳媒的信。
讀過後，相信你會明白我為甚麼憤怒。
信件一：
An Open Letter to Mr. Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank with regard to the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, 2013
28 February 2013
Dear Mr. Hung,
It was with great pleasure that I read the headlines in Monday’s edition of the South China Morning Post, quoting you as saying that Hong Kong’s “marathon with a heart” can become “among the biggest and the best in the world…” You did however say that this was contingent upon the government and asked for the roads to be kept open longer.
You have every reason to be proud. Standard Chartered Bank (the Bank) has been sponsoring the Marathon for the past 17 years and through this sponsorship has seen the increased interest in health and fitness in the city, while also supporting the needs of the community through charity programmes. I was very happy to read from your website that the key beneficiaries of the Marathon Charity Programmes include, Seeing is Believing, The Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled and the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society. By providing sponsorship to these organizations, the Bank sends out a clear message that inclusion is key for a successful and world class event, for which I personally commend you.
In spite of this, I am afraid that I do not share your optimism regarding how Hong Kong’s marathon might ever become one of the best in the world, simply based on what transpired last Sunday for wheelchair athletes. The reasons are simple:
Did you know that it has taken four years of unrelenting requests, meetings and stubborn advocacy for the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association (HKAAA) to even include wheelchair racers in the marathon? Sunday’s race was only the second time we have been allowed to take part. The HKAAA’s reasons always hides behind road closures, in spite of the fact that Hong Kong attracts top level and professional wheelchair racers, whose times are well ahead of many of the casual able-bodied runners who take part.
Did you also know that of the six wheelchair athletes who participated this year, five were disqualified? That is an 85 per cent failure rate. The reason given by the HKAAA is that we did not meet the one hour cut off point at the 10 mile mark. To have a cut off time is not unusual, but that the HKAAA made no concession to the course gradient in spite of prior requests, seems inherently unfair. It also does not send a positive message of inclusivity to wheelchair participants, both local and overseas.
What is most disconcerting is that no matter how many times we have asked, the HKAAA refuses to address our issues and concerns.
As the CEO of my own company, just on the basis of the failure rate alone, I would be concerned. I would want to ensure that something like this does not happen again by enquiring how and where conditions could be made favorable in support of the participants. Similarly, if I were the sole sponsor of such a signature event (not only in the athletic calendar of the city, let alone Asia, but of the world) I would want to ensure that one of our main beneficiaries, in this case the physically disabled, would be treated appropriately and be accorded the respect granted to other participants.
Mr. Hung, Hong Kong is my home and as the Chair of the ParaTriathlon Committee, Hong Kong Triathlon Association, I would like nothing better than to see the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon be the best in the world. However, if the HKAAA continues to marginalize its wheelchair athletes, I do not hold out much hope for this happening soon.
Again, let me congratulate you on the completion of a successful marathon and I very much hope that 2014 is even better for you as the sponsor, and for me, a participant.
Sincerely yours,
Ajmal Samuel
Chairman and CEO, ASAP Transaction Processing Corporation Ltd
Chairman, ParaTriathlon Committee, Hong Kong Triathlon Association
致 渣打銀行首席執行官洪丕正先生的一封有關香港渣打馬拉松賽的公開信
2013年2月28日
洪先生：
很高興於星期一（25/2/2013) 南華早報頭條，讀到引述你說：香港有心的馬拉松，可以成為世界最大及最好的比賽之一，然而，這取決於政府的支持及容許更長的封路時間。
歷年參加馬拉松賽的人數屢創新高，顯示本港市民整體對馬拉松賽事的熱愛及支持，作為項目贊助商的渣打銀行（渣打）是應該感到自豪的。
你可以值得自豪，渣打銀行贊助了馬拉松十七年，透過贊助比賽提升了城市對追求健康和健美的興趣，同時透過慈善計劃支持社區，很高興當中包括「看不到的希望計劃」、香港傷殘運動協會及防癌會等。透過這些贊助，渣打明確道出「傷健共融」的訊息，這是一個世界級及成功的賽事不可或缺的。這方面是要讚許你。
但我實在不能同意你所說，香港馬拉松可以成為世上最好的比賽之一，單是輪椅運動員的遭遇，已足以否定你的樂觀，原因相當簡單：
你知不知道，單是要渣馬舉辦輪椅賽，我們爭取了四年，不斷要求、開會、遊說社會各界後，田總才願意辦輪椅賽。本年只是第二次有舉辦輪椅賽的賽事，田總永遠只會把責任推在封路時間上。事實上，香港吸引了輪椅賽的精英，他們的馬拉松完成的時間較很多一般的健全人士都要短。
你知不佑道，今年輪椅賽共有六位參賽者參加，然而其中五位被取消資格？失敗率高達85%。田總推說因我們無法在一小時內走十英里。賽事有時限是慣常做法，但田總並沒有因香港的難度而酌情處理，這安排對所有參賽者都不公平，亦無法向本地及海外，宣揚香港傷健共融的正面訊息。
更令人沮喪是，無論我們爭取了多少次，田總也不願意回應我們的訴求和關注。
我也是自己公司的行政總裁，如看到單一賽事的完成比率如此低，我會關注是否出了問題，好好改善以確保不會發生類似事件。同樣地，若果我是一個如此重要活動的贊助商（不單只香港、亞洲、甚至世界），我會確保主要的受惠者，亦即是傷殘人士，是否遭到合情合理的對待，與其他參加者一同受尊重。
洪先生，香港是我家。作為三項鐵人總會傷殘三鐵委員會主席，我希望香港渣打馬拉松成為世界最好的比賽，但若田總繼續排擠輪椅運動員，我不認為會看到這一天。
最後，讓我衷心祝賀今年香港渣打馬拉松賽完满结束。我誠心希望香港渣打馬拉松賽，對贊助者、對我及其他參加者都較去年更好。
施杰浩
ASAP Transaction Processing Corporation Ltd.
主席及行政總裁
香港三項鐵人總會ParaTriathlon 委員會主席
信件二：
Dear Editor,
I would like to describe my experience in the 2013 Hong Kong Wheelchair Half Marathon in the sincere hope that by bringing attention to it there will be change in 2014.
When I collected my race number I was informed of a one hour cut off at the 10 mile point. This is not unusual in wheelchair marathons and 10 miles an hour is usually easily achievable on a level course. However, the mean uphill gradient of the Hong Kong course meant that the time was not achievable by the majority of entrants. This resulted in 85% of wheelchair half marathon participants being stopped at 10 miles. Given the difficulty of the course the Hong Kong cut off time is far harder than the London marathon cut off and harder than the Boston Marathon qualifying time, currently the most challenging on the world circuit.
As I exited the Western Harbour tunnel on the long steep hill climb out, I was cheered on by the marshals giving me the impression that my time was fine. A few minutes later when going downhill at 25 kph a marshal jumped in front of me. It is impossible to stop a racing wheelchair at this speed in a short distance and as the marshal jumped out of the way he punched me in the shoulder which could have caused me to tip over. I came to a stop somewhat shaken up and asked to continue the race. A marshal made a phone call and confirmed my race was over. I then asked to be released to go on my way. This request was refused and I was physically held by a marshal and forced to take a bus to the Victoria Park. At this point I was no longer a race participant and I wanted to leave the course and not be detained.
No blanket or means of keeping warm was provided and I was not allowed to carry out warm down exercises creating the possibility of muscle injury. The journey to Victoria Park was delayed outside the park because the bus did not have police permission to enter the park. As a result I was stationary in my racing chair for a significant length of time in excess of 45 minutes. The cushioning of the chair is sparse due to the efficiency required and the pressure sore risk is normally mitigated by the movement of racing, but sitting in it stationary increases pressure sore risk.
I was denied the satisfaction and fulfilment of completing the race instead I have been left with a negative impression of the attitude towards disability and disabled people in Hong Kong when such an event should be a showcase for tolerance and inclusion in Asia. I have represented Great Britain at Adaptive Rowing in Italy, Spain and Japan and I have competed in marathons all over the world, in major cities in Europe, the USA and the Middle East. I can honestly say that my treatment on Sunday represents a low point.
Rob Holliday
致編輯：
我想表達一下我今年參加香港渣打馬拉松輪椅賽的經驗。希望主辦單位能正視問題，並希望下一屆2014年輪椅賽會有改變。
我在取號碼布當天被通知賽事當日在10英里段的時限為1小時。一般而言，如果賽道為平路，以10英里1小時為時限是合理的。但以香港渣打馬拉松賽道斜度，大部分參加者根本不可能達到這個速度，結果85%參加者到十英里被截停。香港渣打馬拉松輪椅賽遠較倫敦馬拉松（London Marathon）困難，甚至比 波士頓馬拉松 （Boston Marathon）更困難，堪稱全世界最難的賽道。
當我完成西區海底隧道的一段及後面的一段長斜坡，環境氣氛加上工作人員的叫聲招手，讓我以為工作人員是為我打氣加油，應該可以完成賽事。 數分鐘後，我以時速25公里下坡，不遠的前方有另一位工作人員突然衝出來站在我前方，圖阻止我前進。由於我當時是下坡， 速度快，我需要馬上緊急煞停輪椅以免危及這位工作人員；須知車輪由加速狀態至完全停止是需要一定時間，但當時，工作人員不但不理解，更粗暴地截停我，幾乎把我推到在地上。
當我被截停下來，我要求繼續完成賽事。當時，有一位工作人員經電話查詢後，便對我說賽事已結束，不能完成了。由於我是傷健人士，我需要我的輪椅代步，我再要求工作人員讓我自行返回終點，但被拒絕。最後，我被工作人員強行帶離賽道現場。我坐在比賽輪椅上被送上巴士，等候開車到維多利亞公園。我當時已經不再是參賽者，我只想馬上離開賽道，而不是被人扣留。
在巴士上，並沒有保暖外衣或毯子提供，我亦不能作任何伸展運動，令我的肌肉可能受傷。由於長時間（超過45分鐘）被固定在同一位置，我坐著的氣墊開始漏氣而不能再有效地支持我的坐姿。這是我最不希望發生的事情，因為長時間被固定及氣墊承托不足而形成壓力瘡。
我不單止無法得到完成賽事的滿足，更因大會對待傷殘及傷殘人士的咀臉，而令我討厭這個地方，特別是這個比賽，應該是向亞洲展示包容和接納的典範。我曾多次代表英國到意大利、西班牙和日本參加划艇，亦參與世界各地的輪椅馬拉松賽，包括與歐洲、美國及中東的主要城市比賽，我肯定我在香港的遭遇，是眾多地方中最惡劣的。
Robert Holliday
英國輪椅賽選手
