The city’s six gaming concessionaires will submit proposals to the government next month about major sporting events that they plan to organise, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U said yesterday during a plenary Q&A session in the hemicycle of the Legislative Assembly (AL).
Ao Ieong stressed that the events will be coordinated by the government.
The policy secretary overseeing the sports sector said that as the annual Macau Grand Prix has attracted a large number of tourists and the FIBA [International Basketball Federation] 3X3 Macao Masters-Wynn Cup Greater Bay Area, WTT [World Table Tennis] Champions Macao 2022 presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) and the GEG Macao International Marathon are all considered “successful examples” of sports tourism during the three-year COVID-19 pandemic when Macau’s sporting events were mainly promoted to the mainland market.
Ao Ieong said that future major sports events will be held by “big organisations” which, she said, could help the sporting events gradually become more market-orientated eventually.
Ao Ieong also said that the government has been working to optimise the arrangements and planning of the city sporting events, adding that it is studying the feasibility of incorporating Cotai’s Estrada do Istmo – informally known as Cotai Strip – into the international marathon’s route, taking into account the city’s overall conditions and local traffic environment.
She also said that the government was even considering holding the international marathon on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), but the event would still require the Hong Kong and Zhuhai governments to resolve the immigration issues involved, which would require further study.
In addition, Ao Ieong said that an opening ceremony will be held today to recruit 10,000 volunteers for the 15th National Games. She said that residents aged 16 or above, including mainland and overseas students studying in Macau, could apply. Senior citizens are also welcome to take part in the volunteer programme, she added.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes told the lawmakers that the National Games are an opportunity to expand Macau’s international tourism market, adding that the government was preparing to launch funding for side events of the National Games in 2025, with the aim of supporting local communities to launch more “sports + tourism” activities.
For the first time, the National Games will be jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U addresses yesterday’s Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle.
– Photo courtesy of TDM
