Macau’s annual one-day sports event for senior citizens, which was normally held in August or September in previous years, will be scheduled a few months earlier than normal this year, on April 13, with the aim of enabling the local government to focus on its organisation and preparation in the second half of the year on the Macau segment of the upcoming 15th National Games, which will be held in November, the Sports Bureau (ID) said yesterday.
The bureau held a press conference at its headquarters in Zape yesterday to announce details of the 2025 Macau Elderly Sports Day.
The 15th National Games will be jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau between November 9 and 21.
While the games’ opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Guangzhou on November 9 and in Shenzhen on November 21 respectively, events in Macau will be held between November 7 and 20.
The annual Macau Elderly Sports Day is jointly organised by the Sports Bureau and the Macau Elderly Sports Association, with the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (known as Kai Fong in Cantonese), the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (known as Gung Luen in Cantonese), the Macau Women’s General Association (known as Fu Luen in Cantonese), and the Macao Polytechnic University’s (MPU) Seniors Academy as the event’s co-organisers.
Addressing yesterday’s press conference, Macau Elderly Sports Association President Leong Chong Leng pointed out that the event has been held every year since 2006, with last year’s marking the 19th edition.
As in previous years, this year’s Macau Elderly Sports Day will be held at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.
The one-day sports event for seniors will be held between 9 a.m. and 12 noon on April 13.
Macau residents born in or before 1974 are now eligible to sign up for the event, i.e., those aged 50 or over, according to yesterday’s press conference.
Potential participants can collect registration forms from the Sports Bureau’s headquarters, Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, Macau Stadium in Taipa, the MPU Seniors Academy, as well as facilities run by Kai Fong, Gung Luen and Fu Luen. They can also download the forms from the bureau’s website.
Potential participants will be required to submit their forms by 12 noon on April 3 to the aforementioned venues, or by faxing their forms to 8796 5611.
During the press conference, Chao Kuok Wai, who heads the bureau’s Sports Development Department, said that his bureau has decided to schedule this year’s Macau Elderly Sports Day next month, a few months earlier than normal, as the Macau segment of the upcoming 15th National Games will be held in the second half of this year, adding that the measure aims to enable the local government to focus on its organisation and preparation during the second half of the year for the games.
Chao also noted that the elderly sports day aims to raise senior citizens’ awareness of the importance of doing exercise and to encourage them to discover fun in exercising.
Chao also said that next month’s elderly sports day will feature elements of the upcoming 15th National Games, to allow more residents to know more about the event.
Sports Bureau’s (ID) Sports Development Department chief Chao Kuok Wai (centre) addresses yesterday’s press conference, flanked by Hong Wai Tong (from left to right), who heads Kai Fong’s Sports Committee, Gung Luen Vice President Ella Lei Cheng I, Macau Elderly Sports Association President Leong Chong Leng, and Fu Luen Vice President Hoi Lok Man. – Photo: Tony Wong
