The torch relay for the 15th National Games will kick off at 9 a.m. on Sunday from Lotus Hill Park in Shenzhen. Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou will then respectively hold their starting ceremonies at 9:30 a.m., marking the simultaneous launch of the torch relay.
The relay in Macau will be restricted to the peninsula, i.e., excluding Taipa and Coloane, covering a route of approximately 2.6 kilometres, Pun Weng Kun, who heads the preparatory office for the upcoming National Games, announced during a special press conference yesterday.
The press conference about the torch relay for the 15th National Games was held at Athletes Training and Development Centre in Taipa.
Pun said in a speech that the starting ceremony for the torch relay in Macau will be held at the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government Headquarters in Nam Van, and travel along Avenida da Praia Grande (南灣大馬路) , Avenida D. João IV (約翰四世大馬路), Largo da Sé (澳門大堂前地), Rua de S. Domingos (板樟堂街), Rua do Campo (水坑尾街), Estrada do Cemitério (西墳馬路), and Calçada de S. Paulo (大三巴斜巷), as well as 10 other streets, ending at the Ruins of St Paul’s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The whole torch relay is expected to be completed within two hours, Pun predicted.
Pun added that a total of 50 torchbearers comprising representatives from the sports sector, as well as sponsors, youth representatives and well-known public figures will cover 50-100 metres each, eight of whom were selected by the organising committee of the 15th National Games.
Regarding reporters’ questions about the names of the torchbearers, Pun said that the list will be released by the organiser.
Asked by reporters whether Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai will be one of the torchbearers, Pun declined to reply, merely saying that the final list would be released later.
According to a statement released by the preparatory office yesterday, 20 bus routes will be affected by detours, and notices will be posted at affected bus stops and inside buses, and bus companies’ staff will be on-site to assist passengers.
The statement added that the Pak Kai and Pak Wu car parks, along the route will be affected as vehicles’ entry and exit will be temporarily restricted during the relay.
Moreover, street parking spaces in the surrounding areas will be suspended from Saturday and reopen after the event concludes, the statement said.
Relevant information can be accessed through the dedicated webpage on the organising committee’s website (https://www.dsat.gov.mo/dsat/subpage.aspx?a_id=1761534451) or via the “Macao Smart Go” mobile application. The statement urged residents to plan their journeys in advance on Sunday.
The 15th National Games will be held between November 9 and November 21. For the first time, they will be held not just in one province, autonomous region or municipality but in three separate areas – Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Pun Weng Kun, who heads the preparatory office for the upcoming 15th National Games poses with a torch during yesterday’s press conference about Sunday’s torch relay for the 15th National Games, at the Athletes Training and Development Centre in Taipa. – Photo: Ida Cheong
