User:FloorCurling/sandbox

Introduction to FloorCurling: An inclusive sport for all
FloorCurling is a Hong Kong homegrown inclusive sport. It is a non-contact team sport providing opportunities to people of different ages, gender, or abilities, not only to learn and play together, but also to compete against each other. A FloorCurling team consists of three members: Lead, Second and Skip. Each team has six FloorCurling rocks. A game usually consists of six ends. A coin toss (or drum paper scissors) decides which team has the hammer in the first end. The team with the hammer has the last rock advantage. For subsequent ends, the team that has lost in the previous end will get the hammer.

For each end, each member delivers two rocks on a FloorCurling lane, with Lead first, followed by Second and then Skip. Each team delivers the rocks in alternate order. The lane is 11 metres long and 1.8 metres wide with a round house of 1.2 metres in diameter on the target end. The team with its rock closest to the centre or button of the house wins the game. The score for the winning team is the number of rocks that are located closer to the centre of the house than any rock of the opposing team.



FloorCurling gained recognition from the United Nations for its most inclusive FloorCurling activity consisting of people with 10 types of disabilities on 25 and 26 June 2022. The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) World Record supported Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities -- http://sdg.do/2205KD. The 10 types of disabilities include:
 * 1) Hearing impairment
 * 2) Visual impairment
 * 3) Physical disability
 * 4) Speech impairment
 * 5) Intellectual disability
 * 6) Mental illness
 * 7) Autism
 * 8) Visceral disability
 * 9) Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder
 * 10) Specific Learning Difficulties

The mission of FloorCurling is to make inclusion a sustainable endeavour, by promoting awareness to more people, increasing participation to a diverse community, and spreading the sport geographically across the world.

Inception
The story began in 2014 when a Kurling (Floor Curling 地板冰壺) set from England was purchased and introduced into Hong Kong with the aim of promoting the sport of Curling. What followed in 2016 was the creation of a new sport called FloorCurling (in one single word, like other sports such as basketball, football, handball, etc). In Chinese it is called 地壺球 (Chinese pinyin: Dì hú qiú). Developing FloorCurling into a sport, a new set of equipment was locally designed, along with new rules of the game. The development of a new sport led to the establishment of The World FloorCurling Federation and the Hong Kong FloorCurling Association in 2016. The designer of the sport equipment and structure, and the founder of both organisations is John Li 李石樁 (Muzi 木子).

Horizontal, vertical and international promotion
In 2016 horizontal promotion to different sectors of the community proved that FloorCurling is an inclusive sport for all, offering the opportunity to people of all ages, gender, and abilities to learn, play and compete together. Vertical outreach in the following year expanded FloorCurling to more organisations in different sectors. Since 2016, Hong Kong FloorCurling Association has served over 600 organisations ranging from kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, universities, special schools, youth centres, elderly centres, minority groups, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, unions, recreational/ residential clubs, campsites, professional bodies, government departments and corporations.

In the past seven years from 2016 to 2022, Hong Kong FloorCurling Association has trained more than 700 FloorCurling Instructors and Guiders, and over 2,000 FloorCurlers. Instructors train players to participate in competitions while Guiders promote FloorCurling through Come&Play sessions. The Association organises an average of 15 competitions per year often in alignment with festivals or commemorative events, keeping FloorCurlers engaged in the sport.

At the international level, FloorCurling has spread to 32 countries/ regions, 11 of which have joined The World FloorCurling Federation: Australia, China, Estonia, Hong Kong, Israel, Kazakhstan, Macao, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan. South China Morning Post interviewed Muzi and the article Homegrown sport of FloorCurling takes Hong Kong to the world stage captures the crux of the progress of this new sport in 2019.



In 2021, Hong Kong’s first FloorCurling centre, FloorCurling Plus (地壺樂), was opened. The centre is furnished with seven standard lanes. It is located in Fortune Metropolis, a shopping mall in Hung Hom, providing a convenient location  to organise competitions and for FloorCurlers to practise, play and mingle.

Recognition of FloorCurling Inclusivity


In 2022, FloorCurling made a world record. On 25 and 26 June 2022, FloorCurling set an SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) World Record supporting Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities -- http://sdg.do/2205KD. The event, held in the Hung Hom Community Centre, hosted the most inclusive FloorCurling activity consisting of people with 10 types of disabilities. Over 800 people irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, economic or other status participated in the event. The event provides evidence that social inclusion through sport for all is possible.

The event was a collaborative effort under the leadership of Ms Alice Choi (District Officer) of the Kowloon City District Office, Home Affairs Department. The Hong Kong FloorCurling Association Limited and the Hong Kong FloorCurling Association for the Physically Challenged Limited orchestrated the FloorCurling training and competitions for the two-day event. Other supporting organisations include HK!nnoVision, Kai Tak Sports Initiative, Lui Lee Sau Ying Charity Fund Limited, Mercy, and Tender Loving Care Charity Association Limited.

Way forward
The original mission of FloorCurling in promoting the sport of Curling has been accomplished with the successful completion of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Through FloorCurling, more people in Hong Kong and overseas gained awareness of the winter sport of Curling and learnt how to appreciate a Curling game. In 2022, FloorCurling will take up a new mission in the sustainable development of inclusive sports and homegrown sports. We hope to spread this mission beyond Hong Kong to other parts of Asia, transcending the spirit of inclusion and originality of homegrown sports.

The CREATIVE Framework for Inclusive Sport Development: FloorCurling
The essence of FloorCurling is inclusion. The rules and the design of the FloorCurling equipment make it possible to construct opportunities that emphasise the sports ability of the players instead of their disabilities. It is based on an inclusive model embracing people of all ages, gender, or abilities who choose to learn, play, and compete against each other in a fair manner. Consolidating the experience from FloorCurling development comes up with a CREATIVE Framework for Inclusive Sport Development, which consists of eight elements abbreviated as CREATIVE:
 * Competition
 * Rules
 * Equipment
 * Aspiration
 * Team Formation
 * Instructors and Manpower
 * Venue
 * Economics

Below will discuss each element beginning from the tangible elements related to the structure of the sport (such as equipment, rules, venue) to the intangible elements (including economics and aspiration).

Rules of the Game
Simplicity features the rules of the FloorCurling game, which can often be mastered within 15 minutes. A new player, once having grasped the essential rules including team formation, rock delivery and scoring, can start to play a game of FloorCurling. This concurs with Hertting & Karlefors’ findings that a low threshold avoids emphasis on specific sports skills posing a barrier to inclusion (2021, p.35). Honing for more sophisticated strategies and dexterous delivery skills will, however, need time and practice. This juxtaposition of simplicity and sophistication provides a sustainable environment for interested people to easily pick up the sport and yet to persist for challenging advancement. More details of the rules of a FloorCurling game will be explained below.

Equipment
FloorCurling equipment is portable and easy to set up. The four major pieces of equipment include the U65 lane, the rocks, the brush/pusher and the scoring board. The equipment can easily be set up on a flat floor surface, such as a school hall, or a room that can accommodate the lane.

1. U65 Lane


The U65 lane] is 11 metres long x 1.8 metres wide. Each lane has three Start Circles: U6, U12/65+ and U65. U6 for toddlers and young children has the shortest delivery distance. U12/65+ is for ages 6 to 11 and people above 65. The longest delivery distance is for people between 12 and 64 years old. Besides the standard U65 lane, there are two shorter lanes, dedicated for U6 (4.5 metres x 1.8 metres) and U12/65+ (8 metres x 1.8 metres).

Studying the anatomy of a FloorCurling lane] will allow one to understand more about the rules of the game. The lane has a house on each end so that players can immediately start a new game without the need to send the rocks back to the other end. On the delivery end, the body of the player cannot go beyond the triangular area. Players should release the rock before the Release Line and the rock must pass through the Start Circle.

Rocks, upon delivery, must cross the Safety Line (U6’s release line) near the target end. Otherwise, the rock will be invalid and has to be removed from play. Rocks touching or have crossed the side lines will be invalid. Rocks that have entirely crossed the back line will also be invalid.

The Free Guard Zone provides a chance for each team to set a strategy for the rest of the end. The first two rocks of each team if placed in the Free Guard Zone cannot be removed by the opponent Lead.

The scoring zone is the House with its official colours of orange, white, and green. The team with its rock closest to the centre or button of the house wins the game. The score for the winning team is the number of rocks that are located closer to the centre of the house than any rock of the opposing team. The team that has lost will have zero score.

2. FloorCurling Rocks
Each set of equipment includes 12 (six red and six yellow). Red and yellow are the official colours of the rocks. In Chinese the rock is called 地 壺 (Dì hú). With the three bearings at the base, the rock can glide smoothly on a flat surface. Each rock weighs 1.235 kg which can even be handled by a toddler.

There are myriad delivery styles. FloorCurlers can freely adopt whichever delivery style that suits their physical abilities. The usual form is kneeling position. People with knee problems can either sit on a low chair and deliver by hand, or use a pusher and deliver in a standing position. Wheelchair users can also use the pusher. Some wheelchair users, however, would prefer to sit on the floor to deliver. People without arms can use their feet to deliver the rocks. A slider is available for wheelchair users with weak arm strength to glide the rock down the lane with the desired line and weight. One of the FloorCurlers, Ms. Sandy CHAN, nicknamed the Blue Slider Warrior, has won in several competitions, bearing witness to the effectiveness of the equipment in attaining inclusion. For the visually impaired, team members can use sound to guide them to deliver in the right line and with the appropriate weight.

3. Brush and pusher
The brush is to clean the FloorCurling lane, ensuring no debris would affect the gliding of the rock along the lane. As mentioned earlier, the pusher can be fitted into the handle of a FloorCurling rock for delivery in sitting or standing position.

4. Scoring board
A game usually consists of six ends. The score board is to register the score of each end and the final score.

5. Other equipment include:

 * Strategy board: This handheld board is to facilitate the analysis of a game
 * FloorCurling shoes: To maintain cleanliness, players need to either wear socks or FloorCurling shoes during a game.
 * PopCurling: A mini-version of FloorCurling which can be played at home on the table or on the floor.

Venue:
Venue requirement is simple. FloorCurling can be played in any venue with a flat surface which can accommodate the U65 (11 m x 1.8 m) or U12 (11m x 1.8m) or U6 lane (4.5m x 1.8m). As such, there are diverse choices in regard to venues hosting FloorCurling events. FloorCurling can be held in every neighbourhood. Venues adopted include community hall, school hall, multi-purpose arena, dance room, shopping malls, and many more. FloorCurling has also been played outdoors in Central District (Hong Kong) with an uneven surface, in which case, wooden platforms were specially built to create a flat surface to host the lane. On a tiled surface, a protective layer is placed underneath the lane.

Team Formation
Inclusive teams is a natural and common phenomenon in FloorCurling. Inclusive teams competing against each other is also natural and common. Each team is composed of three members: the Lead, Second and Skip. Teams could be composed of abled, disabled, young or old. We have witnessed cross-generational teams with a grandchild, parent and grandparent. On record, the youngest FloorCurler is 7 months old while the oldest is 104 years old. At the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) event supporting Goal 10 - Reduced Inequalities held on 25 and 26 June 2022, the youngest participant was 3 years old while the most senior participant was 95, making an age span difference of 92 to play together in the same event.

Instructors and other manpower
A team of quality Instructors and Guiders is essential to the sustainable development of FloorCurling. Instructor and Guider courses are held from time to time. Some graduates of these training courses have become dedicated Instructors or Guiders. There is a broad spectrum as regards the profile of the Instructors and Guiders, with both abled and disabled as well as young and old. This demonstrates that potential and performance is irrespective of age, gender, or disability. By engaging diversity in the recruitment of instructors also helps FloorCurling inclusivity which resonates with Corazza & Dyer (2017) in that “encouraging participants to feel a sense of ownership within a sporting initiative has been found to optimise social inclusion.”

All Instructors/ Guiders are part-timers or project-based. Somehow, this fits the slash generation where people seek diversifying their interests and skills by juggling in different jobs. As such, the pool of Instructors/ Guiders come from diverse backgrounds with different talents.

Competitions
A game normally has six ends which take about 30 minutes. Competition playoffs are based on group round robin with the top four teams playing in two groups at the semi-final games. The winning teams will play for the Gold and Silver medals final while the teams that have lost will play for the Bronze medal game. Most competitions can be completed within a morning or an afternoon session, with short breaks in between the 30-minute games. This rhythm does not pose too much physical demand on the athletes, and therefore facilitates social inclusion.

Regular competitions offer a driving force for FloorCurlers to practise, improve and advance. Over the years, an average of 15 competitions are held annually. To further engage FloorCurlers, on top of the traditional three-member teams, the Association introduced Singles and Pairs competitions in 2022. This offers more variety to players to challenge themselves.

Singles games motivate individual FloorCurlers to further improve their skills and strategies. Each player delivers six rocks. At the end of each end, points are calculated based on the position of the rocks. Rocks staying in the house will gain points on a cascading scale of 4 (rocks touching the button of the house) to 1 point (rocks touching the outermost circle of the house). This poses more challenges in the delivery skills, strategies, and mental stamina.

Pairs competitions involve a moveable button placed in the middle of the integrated lane. The scoring zone is the middle part of the lane between the safety lines. Rocks outside the scoring zone will be invalid. Each team with two members is positioned on either end delivering rocks towards the scoring zone in the middle of the lane. The challenge is that the button can be moved by the delivered rocks and that the opponent rocks are delivered from the opposite end. This demands a three-dimensional thinking framework to strategize in order to win. The team with the rock closest to the button wins the end.

In 2022, besides Singles and Pairs, the Hong Kong FloorCurling Association introduced the concept of Club Teams to foster team spirit at a broader perspective and offer a more systematic structure for further sport development.

Economics
A low threshold requirement in terms of finance and venue is important. The FloorCurling equipment is relatively affordable and there are no special venue requirements. As well, given that there is no public funding or donations to develop the new sport, setting up a self-sustaining financial model is needed. Income generated from FloorCurling events and the sale of equipment cover administrative and staffing costs which maintains a dedicated team of instructors in providing the service. Budget is, however, tight when it comes to promotion, such as web page design or public relations efforts, which demands an appreciable amount of money. As such, promotion of FloorCurling relies on a self-sustaining model as well. Word of mouth and postings on social media by participants help spread the magic of FloorCurling and at the same time provide evidence of the impact of this inclusive sport.

Aspiration
Strong concerted vision for inclusion provides a stronghold for FloorCurling to work towards social inclusion. This does not just rely on one person. The dedicated team of Instructors and Guiders, the avid FloorCurlers, and the supporters who hold a strong belief in the magic of FloorCurling, all contribute to the persistence and devotion for FloorCurling to reach this stage within seven years’ time.

The Impact and Outcomes of FloorCurling
Observations in FloorCurling events show that benefitting from the inclusive sport activity is not only the old and the disabled who gain confidence in their abilities and take pride in their achievements. The young and the abled participants have broadened their horizon in communicating and interacting with the elderly and the disabled. Under this environment, no participants need to adjust for an age gap or a disability issue. Everyone has the free choice to participate in the inclusive sport irrespective of their age, gender or (dis)ability. Participants play and compete on an equal and fair ground. Involvement, acceptance and respect for all participants epitomise the spirit of sports inclusion.

Below are testimonies from a number of instructors, players, and supporters on how FloorCurling changed their lives and views.


 * 1) Instructor A (Instructor with about six years of FloorCurling experience): He often feels blessed when seeing the participants, especially students with disabilities or the elderly, having mastered the skills. He is very pleased to see the happy faces and the excitement of these participants through FloorCurling. At a personal level, he said he has learnt a lot out of FloorCurling and could see improvements in himself. Communication skills have improved and he is more confident in speaking in front of a crowd. Through observation, he has also learnt how to handle children with disabilities. He also found self-affirmation when receiving commendations. He recalled, at a FloorCurling event, a mother was very pleased as her kid got so much fun out of FloorCurling and came forth to praise his patience and expertise. So, he said both the participants and himself benefited from FloorCurling.
 * 2) Instructor B (Instructor with about two years of FloorCurling experience): She said her fitness has improved after having participated in FloorCurling. She said FloorCurling gives her a lot of exercise, like squatting, standing up and walking. Setting up equipment in outreach programmes also is another kind of exercise that she gets. She said she used to be very shy when speaking in front of people. But now, she is more confident in interacting with different people. She has also recently formed her own FloorCurling Club, expanding her social network.
 * 3) Instructor C (Instructor with about six years of FloorCurling experience): With his regular involvement in FloorCurling training programmes, he said he is now more organised and pays more attention to details. He has better communication skills when interacting with people. Seeing the elderly playing happily in FloorCurling and eagerly asking him when he would return to play with them made him very gratifying.
 * 4) Player A (Player with about four years of FloorCurling experience): He said FloorCurling is magical on the day when his wife, who is a wheelchair person, won the Bronze medal in the Social Inclusion FloorCurling Championship held on 8 July 2021. The joy of winning was immeasurable. He said earning the Bronze medal required effort, skills, patience and teamwork. He welcomed more people to participate in FloorCurling.
 * 5) Supporter A: He frequently visits the Fortune Metropolis Shopping Mall, quietly observing the activities in FloorCurling Plus. With his childhood experience of being excluded from physical education classes because of his disability, he found FloorCurling amazing with people of different ages, gender and abilities playing together.
 * 6) Supporter B: She feels that FloorCurling is an activity that makes everyone successful. She recalls watching a young girl in a wheelchair competing in a game of FloorCurling. The smile radiating from this young girl upon the delivery of a rock is memorable. With FloorCurling copycats in the market, this supporter also mentioned a message of Guy Kawasaki (2004)“...if you set out to make money, you will probably not make meaning and you won't make money. So my first thought is you need to make meaning. That should be the core of why you start a company.” She finds meaning in FloorCurling.

So far, the benefits of FloorCurling are collected informally through observations. Perhaps empirical research is needed to gather data to assess the impact and outcome of FloorCurling in regard to social inclusion. Such data may help spark ideas to further make improvements, develop more programmes, or develop other inclusive sports, offering more choices for the diverse community to engage in inclusive activities. Zhao, et al (2021, p.410, 417) in the review of 39 research papers on sport participation and belonging for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, indicates that such studies have gained momentum since 2010, but noted that there is “a noteworthy gap in our understanding of this area”.

Beyond sports: Integrating Art and Culture
Complementing the sport of FloorCurling are art, music and Chinese tradition. It is hoped that the inclusive sport of FloorCurling can serve as a platform to foster cultural exchange, appreciate diversity and showcase other talents.

Art


In 2019, the Hong Kong FloorCurling Association in collaboration with Dr Max Happy Family organised the Hong Kong Students Support 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games Blessing Card Design Competition. A total of 12,000 submissions were received. The student works, brimming with creativity, integrate actions on ice or FloorCurling along with Chinese cultural elements. John Li brought 2,000 student blessing cards to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Winter Paralympic Organising Committee and the Beijing Olympic Education Museum. The representatives were fascinated with the pictures. As such, 36 pictures which came from 26 primary schools were selected for exhibition at the Beijing Olympic Education Museum in December 2020. This effort was reported in the media. Impressed with the idea of the project, similar student competitions were held in China and selected blessing cards were included in the athletes’ welcome package of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Winter Paralympic Games, forging a unique student- Olympic athlete acquaintance.

Music


There are two FloorCurling theme songs. Both songs carry lyrics advocating inclusion using FloorCurling. The first theme song 同樂趣 (Song of FloorCurling) was composed by Rock Ng, a FloorCurler. The song comes in both Cantonese and Putonghua lyrics. Sign language is also available.



The second song 地壺球夢飛翔 (FloorCurling: Let your dreams take flight) was composed by Wong Ching (黃呈), an occupational therapist in the Hong Kong United Hospital. The department became very passionate about this new sport after having organised FloorCurling sessions for their patients.

Chinese tradition and culture
It is hoped that one will be inspired by Chinese culture and tradition through FloorCurling.
 * 1) Chinese philosophy: A FloorCurling team consists of three members. Why? The rationale is based on a saying of Confucius: 三人行必有我師焉, which literally means if three people walk together, there must be someone who can be my teacher. Embedding this Chinese culture lays a philosophical foundation for teamwork and communication in the sport of FloorCurling.
 * 2) Chinese slogan: Embracing the theme of friendship through FloorCurling, the Association created a Chinese slogan 以壺會友  樂在壺中 which means “FloorCurling Acquaintance is Blissful”, which incidentally carries the abbreviation of FAB, the slang for fabulous.
 * 3) Chinese Zodiac: Each year, the Hong Kong FloorCurling Association designs a new pin and badge featuring the zodiac of the year. So far, there are six designs: Rooster (2017), Dog (2018), Pig (2019), Rat (2020), Ox (2021), Tiger (2022). Six more Chinese zodiac signs to complete the entire cycle. Further, in 2022 a series of FloorCurling competitions has been lined up with Chinese zodiac as the theme. The first of this series, Dragon Cup (龍騰盃), was held on 1 July 2022 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of HKSAR.

Inclusive Sport: definitions, models and frameworks
Gaining recognition from the United Nations, through the award of the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) World Record supporting Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities -- http://sdg.do/2205KD, gives much impetus and determination for the Hong Kong FloorCurling Association to use FloorCurling as a sustainable tool to facilitate inclusion. To steer towards inclusivity in the right direction, seeking a good definition of inclusion will help FloorCurling lay the foundation to further promote and develop the sport in the coming decade. What is inclusion? Tracing its definition in the Oxford English Dictionary, inclusion is “the action, practice, or policy of including any person in an activity, system, organization, or process, irrespective of race, gender, religion, age, ability, etc.” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2022). Several authors have put forward their definition of inclusion. From the public policy perspective, Schaillée, H. et al (2019, p.888) indicates that the ideal of social inclusion is “to prevent and mitigate the marginalization of particular social groups”. According to Nixon H.L. (2007) “inclusion implies that people with disabilities are able to compete in integrated settings without stigma or the fear of having their identity spoiled or their status or interaction adversely affected by their impairment or disability or perceptions of them.” Ferez, S., et al (2020) cited Fougeyrollas’ definition of inclusion as the “setting up a material, human and conceptual environment allowing everyone’s participation, without discrimination, and with the expression of human rights”. Literature review identifies two social inclusion models/ frameworks: Simplican’s (2015) Model of social inclusion and De Luca’s (2013) Framework of inclusivity. This article will apply the two models/ frameworks to analyse the inclusivity of the sport of FloorCurling.

Simplican’s (2015) Model of social inclusion
Simplican S.C., et al (2015) advocated that social inclusion is not only a personal issue, but also an issue of civil rights, equality, and economics. The model focuses on two domains: interpersonal relationships and community participation. Under each domain are three kinds of characteristics, namely category, structure and function.

How does FloorCurling fare in this inclusion model? Under the interpersonal relationships domain, a diverse group of people is engaged in the sport of FloorCurling. They take initiatives to commit to regular practice and join competitions year round. Participation in practice sessions or competitions are either initiated by the player or arranged by an affiliated organisation of the player. Pictures or videos captured in FloorCurling events often reveal intrinsic joy and excitement while participating in the sport. Organisers and participants alike often have good lasting memories through watching or playing a game of FloorCurling. FloorCurling has spread geographically to other parts of the world. International exchange through training and competitions have been held over the years. FloorCurlers in Hong Kong expressed much interest in participating in overseas competitions but unfortunately COVID has sent overseas travel to a halt.

Under the community participation domain, the non-contact sport of FloorCurling is organised in a mainstream setting. A diverse group of people participate either in practice or competitions. There could be people who would just be present in the event. For instance, a mother accompanying her daughter to a FloorCurling session, but may sometimes cannot resist the temptation of participating in the game after observing for a short while. Some people would choose to get a taste of FloorCurling and have a brief encounter but often they will be inspired by the spirit of inclusion.

De Luca’s (2013) Framework of inclusivity
De Luca outlined a continuum with four conceptions of inclusivity: normative, integrative, dialogical and transgressive. Normative conception of inclusivity features a dominant-subordinate/minority relationship with the dominant group at the centre. The minority individual needs to assimilate to the dominant cultural standard (De Luca, 2013. p.327). The integrative conception of inclusivity features a multicentric orientation acknowledging the presence of difference within the society through modifications in formal institutions. Some examples of such modifications include separate schools and streaming (De Luca, 2013. p.330). The dominant cultural standard, however, still prevails. Moving further towards inclusion, the dialogical conception also takes up a multicentric orientation but with a global and comprehensive view acknowledging cultural complexity that goes beyond “domesticated diversity” within a region or country. The conception involves an active response to enable access and participation (De Luca, 2013. p.333). Transgressive conception features a concentric representation focusing on principles of social justice and fair competition with neither a dominant cultural group nor stereotypic labelling of differences. It capitalizes on diversity to foster learning about the self, others, and the world. In recognizing the diversity of differences, the transgressive conception adopts “multiplicity of models designed to accommodate the multiple capacities and interests of students”. (De Luca, 2013. p.334-6). Which stage is FloorCurling currently in? FloorCurling approaches the Transgressive conception under De Luca’s framework of inclusivity. The sport fosters naturalness in diversity. There is no dominant group. People of different ages, gender and abilities come to play together and compete against each other. Even within the different roles participating in the sport (including players, Instructors/ Guiders, administrators) there is no dominant group. Every role features diversity, which resembles the concentric representation in De Luca’s framework.

Learning about the self, others and the world through FloorCurling is evident from the testimonies shared by the instructors/ players/ supporters under the section on impact and outcomes. As outlined earlier in this article, there is multiplicity in the delivery style and three delivery distances to accommodate different abilities of players. This emphasises the sports ability of the players instead of their disabilities. The rules of the sport are simple and easy to understand. Yet, FloorCurling offers challenges for advancement through improvements in skills and strategies. This helps sustain interest and therefore participation in the sport.

Concluding Remarks
FloorCurling is moving towards the right direction to social inclusion. The Hong Kong FloorCurling Association will forge ahead to spread the sport to more people and regions, fostering the spirit of social inclusion. There is no universal or standardised solution for fostering inclusion through sport. FloorCurling, however, is one such solution. It will be great if other inclusive sports could be developed providing more choices for people to participate. A World Federation of Inclusive Sports could then be established to facilitate experience sharing and to form a united front towards inclusion. On a macro scale, sports can serve as a tool to foster inclusion in the society at large. The United Nations recognizes the role of sports in its Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development -- “We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as health, education and social inclusion objectives.” (United Nations, 2015). The Hong Kong Government is also committed to social inclusion for people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, new arrivals from the Mainland and the underprivileged, in regard to education, livelihood and community resources. Perhaps there is a lot of room for development.

Contributor of this article: Hong Kong FloorCurling Association. Website: https://floorcurling.hk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HKFloorCurling Email: hkfloorcurling@gmail.com