Yesterday was the last day of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, with the closing ceremony held in Shenzhen – and the Macau team won no fewer than 146 medals.
State Councillor Shen Yiqin declared the Games closed.
It marked the first time that the two Games were co-hosted by the three regions of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It was also the second time that both Games took place in the same city and year as the National Games.
The Macau Special Olympics (MSO) announced on its Facebook page yesterday that the local team had clinched 144 medals in the National Special Olympic Games (NSOG). Moreover, according to the organiser’s official website, the local team garnered two medals at the National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD).
The eight-day 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and 9th National Special Olympic Games took place in Guangdong Province and the nation’s two special administrative regions (SARs) – Hong Kong and Macau.
Due to the deadly inferno in Hong Kong’s Tai Po District on November 26, the organisers decided to cancel the traditional torch relay and opening ceremony on December 8. Yesterday’s closing ceremony in Shenzhen was held in a simple way, the organisers said.
Between December 8, the Games’ first day, and December 14, the Games’ penultimate day, the local team won medals at the NGD Road Cycling, NGD Badminton, NSOG Table Tennis, NSOG Boccia, NSOG Athletics, NSOG Basket Ball, NSOG Swimming, and NSOG Badminton.
The local team clinched 34 gold, 52 silver and 60 bronze medals in the athletic meet.
Macau’s preparatory office for both Games announced in a statement yesterday that the organising committee held a press conference in Shenzhen yesterday afternoon to provide an overview of the sports meet.
The statement said that the Games saw over 15 world records broken and 156 national records set.
Meanwhile, Xinhua News Agency reported last night that the Games featured 46 sports, with a total of 7,824 athletes from 34 delegations.
According to Pun Weng Kun, director of the preparatory office during the press conference Macau ensured comprehensive support concerning the organisation, coordination and services for over 500 participants and technical officials from 28 delegations during the competitions held in Macau. Pun also said that a total of 1,500 volunteers, having undergone systematic training, provided all-round support for the event. Pun pointed that Macau would use the event, which is held every four years, as an opportunity to continue deepening the concept of integration between individuals with and without disabilities, promote the regularised development of sports for persons with disabilities, and contribute Macau’s efforts to the coordinated development of initiatives for persons with disabilities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Chang Zheng, deputy director of the organising committee, said in Shenzhen yesterday that the Games have highlighted China’s achievements in sport for people with disabilities and laid a solid foundation for the country’s participation in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games and 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
The 13th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 10th National Special Olympic Games will be hosted by Hunan Province in 2029.
Macau’s Ue Sze Yu, NSOG Swimming Men’s Singles 12-15 100 Metre freestyle Group 2 gold medal winner, poses during the award ceremony at the Jiangmen Sports Centre Natatorium on Sunday. – Photos courtesy of Macau Special Olympic
Macau’s Chang Chi Wai, NSOG Athletics Women’s Singles 12-15 Shot Put Group 2 gold medal winner, poses during the award ceremony at the Zhongshan Sports Centre Stadium on Sunday.
