The nation’s Olympians from the mainland concluded yesterday their three-day visit to Macau, and Sports Bureau (ID) Acting President Luís Gomes told the media that “the Olympic-themed patriotic education campaign” helped Macau residents enhance their sense of patriotism and national pride.
Gomes also said that the campaign aimed to encourage Macau residents to take the nation’s Olympians as an example, learn to persevere and struggle for their goals, carrying forward Chinese sportsmanship on a new journey.
Headed by Gao Zhidan, director of the State General Administration of Sports, the 73-member 2024 Paris Olympic Games Mainland Olympians delegation, comprising 65 athletes and eight coaches from 16 sporting events, arrived in Macau on Saturday for a three-day tour, during which they attended a dialogue session, interacted with young local athletes at the Olympic Sports Centre in Taipa, took part in gala performance at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai, visited various community service organisations – integrated services centres in Taipa and Coloane’s Seac Pai Van managed by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (known as Gung Luen in Cantonese) and the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau (known as Kai Fong in Cantonese), as well as a family services centre of the Women’s Association of Macau (known as Fu Luen in Cantonese) – to engage with members of the public, and explored three of the city’s six revitalisation districts – Barra, the Rua da Felicidade, and Mount Fortress.
Before leaving Macau, five Paris Olympians, namely Li Yuehong, the gold medallist of Men’s 25-metre Rapid Fire Pistol with a world record; Xu Shixiao, the gold medallist of Women’s 2,500-metre canoeing event; Zhang Yufei, who won a silver and five bronze medals in swimming; Deng Yawen, the gold medallist of the Women’s BMX Freestyle event, as well as Fan Zhendong, the gold medallist of Table Tennis Men’s Singles and Men’s Teams, were interviewed by the media at MGM Macau in Nape to wrap up their trip at around noon.
Shooter Li said: “This is the first time for me to follow the State General Administration of Sports to participate in the visit to Hong Kong and Macau, and I have been struck by the enthusiasm of the general public over the past few days and have felt the enthusiasm of the general public for sports,” adding he hoped the advice and encouragement he has given to young people in his interactions with them over the past few days would enlighten them to continue to carry forward Chinese sportsmanship. Li also said that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a place he is very fond of and that he expected to feel again the passion of the general public there for sports during the 2025 National Games.
Sprint canoeist Xu expressed her sincere gratitude to the local government for its careful arrangements for the visit: “Our delegation members felt the patriotic fervour of the [Macau and Hong Kong] residents waving the national flag and their regional flag at the same time, and as athletes, we were also very excited and happy……It’s a good opportunity for us to interact with the residents, and it’s an unforgettable moment for me”. After her second visit as a member of a delegation of mainland Olympians to Macau, Xu said that the close contact with the public made her feel that the trip of these past few days was “wonderful and unforgettable”.
Her first visit took place three years ago.
Swimmer Zhang said that she had gained a lot of love, attention and enthusiasm from members of the public in Macau and Hong Kong: “It makes us feel like we’re home and I want to visit [the two SARs] again but I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit next time,” encouraging children to learn swimming like her.
Freestyle BMX cyclist Deng said that one of her impressions of Macau was that even if Macau did not know or even did not care or even did not have it, Macau still tried its best to give us the opportunity to present motocross biking: “Yesterday [Sunday] when we were at the variety show and they provided us with a bike similar to our race bike, I asked the staff here why didn’t they find a bike that’s the same as the ones we used at the Olympics but then they apologised and said it’s the only bike that we can find in the whole of Macau right now”. Deng also said she felt youthfulness in Macau athletes which was “very rare”, encouraging everyone not to give up even though there are many setbacks on the way to pursuing their dreams: “Hard work does not always yield results, but not working hard certainly does not. As long as one is willing to work hard, the results will manifest themselves in different places”.
Paddler Fan said that it was his first time to accompany a delegation to visit Hong Kong and Macau: “I feel very happy and these few days are unforgettable, and I communicated well with people from all walks of life in Hong Kong and Macau, including young friends, as well as forging a deep friendship with members of the delegation from various sporting events, so I think it is a very valuable and precious journey for me,” adding that various forms of activities arranged during the visit provided the delegation members with more opportunities to communicate with each other in a more relaxed environment, beyond their respective training sessions.
Wrapping up the arrangements made for the delegation’s visit, Gomes said that the visit demonstrated the nation’s support for Macau and was a rare opportunity for local residents, youngsters in particular, which enabled them to gain direct experience and come into close contact with the Olympians: “The delegation attended many different activities, including a welcome ceremony organised by the SAR government, an exchange session with local youths, participation in cultural and creative experiences and visits to local communities, as well as visits to the city’s neighbourhoods and historic districts to meet with the public and gain an in-depth understanding of Macau’s history, culture and community, as well as to experience the glamour of the coexistence of Chinese and Western cultural characteristics and the successful implementation of the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle in Macau”.
Gomes pointed out that the delegation’s visit to Macau resulted in good publicity for the city as it enabled its residents and tourists alike to feel the city’s historic heritage, as well as its diverse sports culture.
Five of the 73-member 2024 Paris Olympic Games Mainland Olympians delegation – shooter Li Yuehong (from left to right), sprint canoeist Xu Shixiao, swimmer Zhang Yufei, freestyle BMX cyclist Deng Yawen, paddler Fan Zhendong – speak to the media separately about their three-day visit to Macau, at MGM Macau in Nape yesterday. – Photo combo: Yuki Lei
Sports Bureau (ID) Acting President Luís Gomes talks yesterday to reporters following the five Olympians’ interviews with the media at MGM Macau in Nape. – Photo: Yuki Lei
Members of the mainland Olympians delegation make “snow skin” mooncakes with residents during their visit yesterday to a social service centre run by the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations, at Coloane’s Seac Pai Van public housing estate. – Photo: Tony Wong
