Macau will take part in 19 competition and 12 mass participation events at the 15th National Games, which will be co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau from November 9 to 21, according to a Sports Council plenary meeting held at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion yesterday.
The meeting was chaired by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam, whose portfolio includes the sports sector.
Following the closed-door meeting, Sports Bureau (ID) Director Luís Gomes told reporters that the meeting discussed four key initiatives: aligning with the local government’s sports policy to further integrate community sports resources into neighbourhoods; preparing for Macau’s participation in the National Games, including event selections and the “National Games/Asian Games Glory Programme” for competitions; coordinating sporting events and logistics during the National Games and Paralympic Games, particularly alongside the Macau Grand Prix (MGP), and making progress on training programmes for international sports officials and technical personnel.
The 72nd MGP is slated to take place from November 13 to 16.
Responding to reporters’ questions about the composition of Macau’s delegation to the National Games, Gomes said that the bureau was analysing competition regulations and selection criteria. He stressed that athletes will be chosen based on competitiveness, training status, performance and score points.
Gomes revealed that Macau will expand its participation this time, entering 19 of the National Games’ 34 competitive events, namely swimming, athletics, martial arts, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, fencing, football, golf, judo, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, and handball.
Gomes added that this time Macau will take part in 12 of 23 mass participation events for the first time, including karate, dragon boat racing, go* (aka “weiqi”), Chinese chess, bowling, orienteering, model aircraft (aviation), shuttlecock, football, gate ball, dragon and lion dance, and health qigong.
Addressing online rumours claiming that local basketball players were not qualified to compete in the National Games, Gomes clarified that the final sports events’ various disciplines and athlete participation were still under discussion between the bureau and local sports associations, adding that registration details for the events were still awaiting the official release data. However, Gomes insisted that Macau was determined to assemble a “competitive delegation” for the National Games.
Gomes also responded to reporters’ questions about the different selection methods for mass participation events with the other participating cities, and he said that the National Games’ competitive events were aligned with Olympic sports plus martial arts, mass participation events featuring non-Olympic and emerging sports.
Gomes emphasised that Macau’s preparatory committee was prioritising the selection of well-prepared and competitive athletes, even as the other cities were fielding professional athletes for the mass participation events. However, with Macau possibly having only a few athletes taking part in the mass participation events, Macau would continue to use its past methods of selecting participants based on their performance.
Gomes noted that the National Games serve as a platform for well-prepared and seasoned teams or individual athletes to test their capabilities. Regarding differently tiered teams, he said that the bureau would coordinate with the local sports associations, aiming to enable athletes to compete in events in line with their respective developmental stages.
Concerning possible schedule issues with the Macau Grand Prix, Gomes confirmed the setting-up of coordinated arrangements: the National Games events during the Grand Prix will be held in Cotai, while Macau Peninsula events will be staggered with the Grand Prix to avoid overlapping, creating a synergistic atmosphere of National Games and the Grand Prix for residents and visitors alike.
He added that the “National Games/Asian Games Glory Programme” will be launched for athletes for the first time, aiming to enhance resources and support for their preparations for major sporting events by providing one-stop service including appropriate training venues, nutritionist-designed menus, proper transportation services, sports medicine services, and special lectures.
*Go (known as weiqi in Chinese) is an ancient strategic board game originating in China over 2,500 years ago. It is one of the oldest and most complex games still played today. – DeepSeek
Sport Bureau (ID) Director Luís Gomes speaks to reporters in the meeting room of Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion yesterday. – Photo: Ida Cheong
