Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun said yesterday that professionally qualified staff in his bureau have been invited to carry out drug tests at the Paris Olympics from July 26 to August 11 in France.
Pun made the remarks on the sidelines of a press conference to mark the 100-day countdown to the Paris Olympics at Galaxy Macau. Hosted by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) together with the Sports Bureau and integrated resort operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG), yesterday’s conference was attended by ITTF President Petra Sörling, ITTF Deputy President Liu Guoliang, ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton, ITTF Secretary General Raul Calin, and Galaxy Entertainment Group Director Philip Cheng Yee Sing.
Pun told reporters that even though Macau was unable to participate in the Olympics as it is not a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it could participate in the Paris Olympics in other ways.
Macau has competed in the Summer Paralympic Games since 1988, since 2000 as “Macau, China”.
In its capacity as a special administrative region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Macau is allowed to join some international sports organisations and games such as the Asian Games as a separate entity, but it not permitted do so in games for sovereign states such as the Olympic Games, according to the Sports and Olympic Committee of Macau.
Macau has had an Olympic committee since 1987, which is recognised by Asian Olympic Committees and Portuguese-speaking Olympic Committees. Should Macau athletes wish to compete in the Olympic Games, they can join Team China, i.e., their country’s national team.
Pun said that his bureau will also promote “sports fever” in Macau during the period of the Paris Olympic Games, so that its residents will be more involved in sporting activities, as well as to train future athletes.
With the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao 2024 being held now, Pun said he believed that large-scale sporting events can attract many tourists to come to Macau to watch the matches, which could help promote sport tourism and the development of the sport industry, as well as play a positive role in the hotel and catering industries.
During yesterday’s conference, Olympic gold medallists Ma Long and Chen Meng – both are table tennis players - also delivered speeches, with Ma saying that the Olympic stage has always inspired him to become better, and he was looking forward to competing in the Paris Olympics, while Chen said she hoped to continue to show the best version of herself on the Olympic stage and to achieve the best result in the team competition.
Pun talks to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of a press conference to mark the 100-day countdown to the Paris Olympics at Galaxy Macau in Cotai.
– Photo: Ginnie Liang
