Commentary by Manuel Silvério*
Sports Medicine: More Than Treating Injuries
Sports medicine requires a clearer, more structured and more integrated direction. The new Sports Medicine Centre currently being built by the Sports Bureau represents an important investment for Macau. However, for this investment to achieve its full potential, it must be supported by a stable, regulated and functional cooperation mechanism with the rehabilitation services of Conde de São Januário Hospital, while also maintaining regular exchanges with specialised institutions in order to strengthen its technical and scientific credibility.
Such cooperation should not depend on temporary arrangements, nor should it fluctuate according to changing interpretations of each institution’s role. It makes little sense to claim at one moment that sports medicine exists solely to serve athletes and, at another, that it should serve all citizens indiscriminately, without a clear institutional framework. What is required is a well-defined mission, complementary functions and long-term mechanisms for cooperation.
In addition to collaboration with the public hospital, regular exchanges should be established with local and international organisations working in sports medicine, exercise physiology, rehabilitation, applied research and technical training. After nearly 30 years of experience in this field, sports medicine within the Sports Bureau should now enter a new phase characterised by greater credibility, stronger professional capacity and wider engagement with the scientific community.
If properly coordinated, the new centre could play an important role not only in supporting competitive sport but also in prevention, functional recovery and the promotion of physical activity. Macau faces challenges linked to population ageing, sedentary lifestyles and the growing incidence of musculoskeletal problems associated with modern working conditions and insufficient exercise. In this context, sports medicine should not be viewed merely as a tool for sporting performance, but also as an important contributor to public health and quality of life.
The new Sports Medicine Centre should not become simply another facility dedicated primarily to physiotherapy and injury treatment. Macau already has a number of private providers offering such services. Its mission should be different: it should become a specialised platform for prevention, technical guidance, applied research and the connection between health, sport and the community.
If it succeeds in working closely with the Islands Healthcare Complex, training and research networks, and other institutions in the fields of health, education, social services and sport, the new centre could evolve from a supporting facility into a strategic asset for the Macao Special Administrative Region.
Within this framework, greater attention should also be given to recruiting and developing professionals specialising in sports medicine, exercise physiology, functional recovery and related fields. Macau already has young residents who have received training in these areas, yet opportunities for professional development within the local sports and health sectors remain limited. The new centre could therefore serve an additional purpose: making better use of local talent, developing specialist knowledge and strengthening community-based services in prevention, rehabilitation and health promotion.
The six integrated tourism and leisure enterprises currently operate resorts, fitness centres and increasingly sophisticated physical training facilities. These facilities can also create new opportunities for professionals working in sports medicine, physical conditioning, functional recovery and health promotion. Better integration between education, the private sector and sports development would allow Macau to make more effective use of the human resources it already possesses.
From Entertainment Activities to Social Investment
Sport should be understood as an integrated system. Sporting performance, public health, public investment and social return all form part of the same development equation.
The example of Hong Kong deserves attention. Through its charitable trust, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has consistently supported projects related to public health, community sport, sports science and sports medicine, in partnership with universities, hospitals and social service organisations. This goes beyond sponsorship; it represents a form of social investment.
Macau does not need to replicate this model exactly, but it can certainly learn valuable lessons from it. Institutions with significant financial capacity and strong links to the entertainment industry can also contribute to the development of long-term mechanisms for prevention, training, health promotion and talent development. In this context, the role of the six integrated tourism and leisure enterprises need not be limited to organising major events. Consideration could be given to more direct support for strategic sports such as football, basketball and motorsport.
Through support for local clubs and sporting structures, it would be possible to facilitate more regular participation in competitions outside Macau. Participation in football or basketball leagues in Hong Kong or the Chinese mainland, as well as motorsport championships in Japan, Malaysia and other competitive markets, could represent a qualitative leap forward.
Such participation would help raise competitive standards, create more demanding training environments and provide athletes with regular exposure to higher levels of competition. In many cases, the main limitation is not a lack of talent but rather a lack of consistent opportunities to compete at a higher level.
For a city of Macau’s size, regular participation in competitions abroad should form part of its development strategy. More important than securing media exposure through major events is creating an effective link between private investment, international visibility and the actual development of sporting disciplines.
Major events should not be merely temporary showcases. They should generate structural benefits, particularly in the areas of coach education, youth athlete preparation, technical exchange and the creation of sustainable opportunities for long-term growth.
Building a System: Sport, Health and Social Cohesion
Macau today possesses conditions that did not exist in the past. It has financial resources, infrastructure, institutional partners and regional connectivity. What is still lacking is a coherent framework capable of bringing these elements together into a genuine development system.
Such coordination should be based on clear objectives: improving youth development, strengthening the relationship between sport and public health, creating more opportunities for training and employment in areas such as management, coaching, event organisation, sports medicine, applied research and support services, and making more efficient use of existing public and private facilities.
For many young people in Macau, sport still offers limited prospects for long-term professional or technical development. More effective links between education, sports medicine, clubs, events, management and regional cooperation could open up new pathways for training and employment.
Despite increasing digitalisation and easier access to information, many young people gradually disengage from sport when they move from school to higher education or enter the labour market. The challenge is not merely to attract more participants, but to establish stable transition mechanisms connecting schools, clubs, universities and professional life.
Macau remains a relatively harmonious and safe community. Preserving this quality of life will also require more structured investment in the physical, social and emotional well-being of its residents.
When sport ceases to be viewed merely as an occasional activity or a major event and becomes part of a long-term development strategy, it can help strengthen social cohesion, promote healthier lifestyles, increase collective confidence and contribute to positive social stability. It can also encourage healthy habits, enhance self-esteem and provide meaningful goals for young people, working adults and older citizens alike.
More important than multiplying isolated activities is the creation of a coherent, stable and sustainable model that links health, education, employment, community development and quality of life.
For a city the size of Macau, the real challenge is not to create more structures, but to ensure that the structures already in place work together effectively. Otherwise, Macau may continue to organise numerous activities while struggling to achieve truly sustainable development.
*Independent sports analyst and regional development consultant. Former public sports administrator with extensive international experience in public policy and sports development.
