The vice-caption of the city’s sports delegation to the 14th National Games and president of the Sports Bureau (ID), Pun Weng Kun, confirmed yesterday that Macau will jointly be hosting the 15th National Games in 2025 with Hong Kong and Guangdong, adding that the organisers have not yet decided which events will take place in Macau.
Pun made the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony at Government Headquarters yesterday where Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng handed the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) flag to the local sports delegation heading to the 14th National Games.
Pun said that he hoped that the athletes would try their best and strive for medals and be prepared for next year’s Asian Games. He also said that his bureau was brainstorming what events should be hosted by Macau for the next National Games in 2025, stressing that they will base their decision on several aspects such as the popularity of the sports among tourists and locals, accessibility, and venue availability.
The 14th National Games will take place between September 15 and 27 in Xi’an, the capital city of Shaanxi province.
During the ceremony, Ho promised that the athletes will strictly comply with all the COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines, adding that athletes will undergo a nucleic acid test (NAT) and prioritise the importance of health. Ho also encouraged the athletes to do their best and strive for a good result. He also pointed out that he was looking forward to the next National Games, which will be hosted by Macau, Hong Kong and Guangdong.
Meanwhile, the captain of the city’s sports delegation to the 14th National Games, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U, said that the city’s government has been striving to develop the local sports sector by combining competitive and recreational sports. She also said that the government puts a lot of emphasis on incubating athletes by optimising sports facilities and providing various types of support to athletes. She said that the government also supports athletes to join different sports events to improve their competitiveness, hoping that they could exchange experience, learn from one another and build lasting friendships with other athletes.
According to an ID statement, the Macau sports delegation to the 14th National Games consists of 154 members who are taking part in 17 sports, including track and field, water sports (swimming, artistic swimming, diving), cycling, triathlon, beach volleyball, table tennis, badminton, tennis, martial arts and others. The athletes will depart from Macau according to their competition dates.
The statement noted that the upcoming National Games’ COVID-19 prevention and control measures are already being applied, adding that the event will implement closed-loop management. The statement also said that Macau’s sports delegation members have followed the organiser’s guidelines and all participants going to Xi’an have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The statement pointed out that all athletes will have their temperature checked and their health condition reported 14 days prior to their departure. The statement also said that 14 days, seven days and 48 hours prior to their departure, the athletes will undergo nucleic acid tests, adding that they will also have the NATs every three days after their arrival in Xi’an.
This handout photo provided by the Sports Bureau (ID) shows the captian of the city’s sports delegation to the 14th National Games, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U (front, fifth from the left), Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (front, sixth from the left) and the vice-captain of the delegation, Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun (front, eighth from the left) posing with the delegation yesterday at Government Headquarters.
