The 17th Asian Sport for All Association (ASFAA) Congress took place at Hotel Royal on Friday and Saturday, with the attendance of more than 120 participants from the mainland and Macau, as well as a number of foreign countries.
Authorised by the Asian Sport For All Association (ASFAA), the congress was once again organised by the Sports Bureau (ID) in Macau after seven years, with more than 10 Sport-for-All experts and scholars from all over the world having been invited to explore the theme of “Strengthening Family Relationships through Sport for All”, and to share their experiences with sports personnel in Macau via keynote speeches, panel discussion, poster presentations, a gala dinner and their participation in local sporting events, according to an ID statement on Friday.
In addition to members of The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA), experts and scholars from Beijing, Guangzhou and Macau delivered keynote speeches, such as “Implementing the National Fitness Programme, Building Harmonious and Beautiful Family Relationships” and “Reflection on Improving Family Relationships Through Sport for All”.
An opening ceremony was held on Friday afternoon, during which ID President-cum-ASFAA Chairman Pung Weng Kun addressed the congress participants by saying: “The 17th ASFAA Congress serves as a platform for dialogue, inspiration, and action, I hope you will all seize this opportunity to learn from experts, share insights, and strengthen our commitment for a healthier and more connected world through sport and physical activity.”
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ceremony, Pun said he hoped to make better use of Macau as a platform to promote various kinds of mass sporting activities in Asia, while encouraging local people to do more sport and, at the same time, enabling other countries to familiarise themselves with Macau’s ability to host international congresses.
The ceremony was also addressed by TAFISA President Wolfgang Baumann, who told reporters that Macau was the “perfect place” for hosting the congress for “excelling in its very innovative Sport for All initiative”, while, at the same time, attaching great importance to the Sport for All tradition.
Baumann said: “Macau has been and is still [going on] an excellent way [in developing Sport for All] ……you have only very short distances here in Macau which helps you a little bit to connect schools with parents and sport clubs with sport facilities,” adding that Macau has done a great Sport for All job in the past. Baumann also said he believed that Macau would do even better in the future.
Delivering a speech during the ceremony, Baumann said that “Sport for All can truly contribute to bringing people together at a time when it is all important”, starting with families and parent-child relationships.
Sports Bureau (ID) President-cum-ASFAA Chairman Pung Weng Kun (top) and The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) President Wolfgang Baumann deliver their respective speeches during Friday’s opening ceremony of the 17th Asian Sport for All Association (ASFAA) Congress at Hotel Royal. – Photos: Yuki Lei
