Read More
After two days of inspiring exchanges at PBC 2026, one observation stood out for Jessie: meaningful impact is never accidental. It is built through vision, discipline, commitment and, above all, collaboration. In many ways, this idea captured both the spirit of this year’s forum and PBC’s decade-long journey of progress.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of PBC 2026.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust concluded the landmark 10th anniversary and fifth edition of its PBC forum at West Kowloon Cultural District a week ago today on 8 September. Convened by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), PBC 2026 featured more than 80 eminent speakers and over 2,300 delegates from around the world. Under the central theme of “Leaping for Impact”, the forum brought together leaders from the philanthropic, sports, business, government, academic and social sectors.
Drawing inspiration from the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, alongside the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality, the forum explored how qualities essential to success in sport – discipline, focus, resilience and teamwork – can help organisations to drive enduring, tangible social change. Among the many thought-provoking sessions, the plenary discussion on “Expanding the Arena: Philanthropy, Leadership, and Pathways Beyond Sport” brought together Olympic gold medallists and leading sports figures from the Chinese Mainland – Li Xiaopeng, Deng Yaping, Yang Yang – and 2026 international football tournament referee Ma Ning. They discussed how the values and leadership forged through elite sport can extend far beyond competition, helping to build stronger institutions, steward emerging talent and broaden access to sport for all.
The fifth plenary, entitled “Expanding the Arena: Philanthropy, Leadership, and Pathways Beyond Sport”, featured a discussion between Olympic gold medallists Li Xiaopeng (2nd left), Deng Yaping (1st left) and Yang Yang (2nd right) with World Cup referee Ma Ning (centre).
This idea was carried into the forum’s closing plenary, which featured an in-depth intergenerational dialogue between a sports leader-turned-philanthropist and professional athletes who aspire to drive social change. Moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation, the session featured Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx and former Olympic swimmer; Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team rider and Asian Games medallist; and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold medallist and Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player. Together they examined how athletes can broaden their influence, how personal growth can translate into leadership and community building and how one can leverage experience to generate more meaningful societal impact.
The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between a sports leader-turned philanthropist and professional athletes committed to driving change. The speakers were Yvette Kong, former Olympic swimmer (1st left); Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team rider (2nd left); and Cado Lee, Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player (2nd right). The panel was moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation (1st right).
The PBC forum has served as a flagship platform for global philanthropic thought leadership and cross-sector collaboration since its launch in 2016, engaging some 10,000 participants and more than 380 speakers from over 40 countries and regions throughout the past decade. The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s support for PBC 2026, like all of its charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique value creation model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the betterment of society.
