The WTT (World Table Tennis) Champions Macao is slated to take place for seven days from April 17-23 at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.
A press conference was held at Galaxy Macau resort’s Banyan Tree Macau in Cotai yesterday to announce details and ticketing arrangements for the competition which is presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG).
The contest will feature 64 competitors across two categories of men’s singles and women’s singles, with 32 male and 32 female competitors. Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha from the national team are among the preliminary line-up of players and will defend their titles.
Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun said in his speech that the WTT held three table tennis competitions in the city over the past three years which were all well received. This year’s event programme is extended to seven days, which will give spectators an opportunity to watch matches in person, while attracting table tennis fans worldwide to prolong their stay in Macau.
Meanwhile, GEG Director Philip Cheng Yee Sing said in a speech his company hopes that the collaboration can further promote Macau’s cross-sectoral integration of “tourism + sports,” advance the government’s “1+4” appropriate diversification development strategy, and strengthen Macau’s positioning as a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.”
A statement provided by the Sports Bureau (ID) yesterday noted that the matches from April 17-21 will be divided into two sessions. The first session for April 17-18 starts at 11:30 a.m., while the second starts at 7 p.m. The first session for April 19-21 starts at 1 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m.
The statement added that the programme on April 17-18 and the first session on April 19 will feature a round of 32 matches, while a round of 16 matches will be held during the second session of April 19 and April 20.
Quarter finals and semi-finals are slated for April 21 and April 22 respectively, while the final matches are set for April 23. The semi-finals will start at 7 p.m. and the finals at 6 p.m.
Tickets will be sold from Thursday from 10 a.m. and can be bought via MacauTicket.com, by telephone, at Kong Seng outlets in Macau and Hong Kong, Ctrip Travel or Trip.com, Damai.cn, or at the venue during the event period. Discounts are also available for standard tickets. The tickets are priced between 300 and 1,000 patacas.
More details can be found at wttmacao.sport.gov.mo or worldtabletennis.com, as well as the ‘Macao Major Sporting Events’ Facebook page, ‘澳門體育’ (Macao Sports) WeChat public account and ‘澳門特區體育局’ (Macao SAR Sports Bureau) WeChat subscription account.
GEG Director Philip Cheng Yee Sing (from left to right), Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun, and Macau Table Tennis General Association Vice Chairman Harry Lai Meng San pose for a group photo after yesterday’s press conference at Galaxy Macau resort’s Banyan Tree Macau in Cotai. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
