More than 200 representatives form various sports organisations attended the event entitled "To Foster the Olympic Spirit: Seminar on Eliminating Discrimination and Anti-Sexual Harassment in the Sports Sector".

The seminar was designed to assist sports organisations in developing anti-sexual harassment policies and also told them on how to handle complaints.

EOC chairman Alfred Chan Cheung-ming commented on the seriousness of the issue.

"Last year, hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu revealed on social media that she was sexually assaulted by her coach during her teens," he said.

"The incident has triggered widespread discussion in society and cast the spotlight on sexual harassment issues."

"In the past three years, the EOC has received 233 complaints regarding sexual harassment," he continued.

"A lot of victims choose to remain silent, implying that sexual harassment might be more severe than we have thought.

"Sexual harassment is a serious problem in our community and we must face it squarely."

Ronnie Wong, the SFOC secretary general added: "Discrimination and sexual harassment not just violate the Olympic spirit but also threaten the well-being of individuals and the team.

"With a number of large-scale international multi-sports events to be held in 2018, the sports sector must join hands together at this critical time to create a respectful and safe environment for athletes and their teams to prepare for these sports events."

It has also been announced that the SFOC and EOC will organise two workshops on the issue.