The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today said Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) will fully cooperate with the work of the Organising Committee of the 15th National Games, joining hands with Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to ensure the smooth progress of all preparations for the event.

Mr Ho was in Guangzhou, Guangdong, to attend the inauguration ceremony for the Organising Committee of 15th National Games, and the inauguration ceremony of the Organising Committee of 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and 9th National Special Olympic Games.

Mr Ho said that – as the largest national sports event in China – the National Games served as an important platform to showcase the comprehensive strength of the country, and promote sports exchanges and cooperation across the nation. In August 2021, the State Council approved the joint hosting of the 15th National Games in 2025 by Guangdong, the HKSAR, and the MSAR. This marked pioneering cooperation in sports among the three places, under the framework of “One country, two systems”.

The Chief Executive said the MSAR Government attached great importance to the preparations for the National Games, and was determined to live up to the trust placed in it by the Central Government.

Macao will host four competition events of the National Games, and two competition events of the 12th National Disabled Games and the 9th Special Olympic Games. The National Games’ events include table tennis, 3x3 basketball, 5x5 basketball (under 18 boys), and volleyball (adult women), as well as a mass-participation event in karate. Additionally, Macao will host two badminton competition events for the 12th National Disabled Games and the 9th Special Olympic Games.

Local residents eagerly awaited these sporting events, and Macao had the necessary conditions and experience to host them successfully, said Mr Ho.

Macao had set up in 2022 its organising committee for the Macao Competition Zone of the 15th National Games, said Mr Ho. Through interdepartmental cooperation and unity among various sectors, detailed planning has been made to ensure implementation of, and orderly progress in, all tasks. Currently, the Macao Competition Zone Organising Committee was engaged in preparations related to facilities, competitions, reception arrangements, promotion work, transportation, and other aspects, said the Chief Executive.

Regarding venues for the games, existing facilities would be fully utilised, and optimisation work and equipment updates were being carried out in an orderly manner. In terms of competitions, close cooperation and communication were being maintained with relevant national sports associations and departments in Guangdong. Training of staff was being conducted to ensure preparations were thorough. There was a plan to hold either two, or up to three, test events this year to ensure the best conditions for welcoming the National Games.

The Chief Executive additionally said the MSAR Government attached great importance to athlete development, and continued promotion of the professionalisation of competitive sports. Efforts were being made to provide better training and development opportunities for Macao athletes, enabling them fully to prepare for the 15th National Games in 2025.

The MSAR Government would use the opportunities presented by the upcoming sports events, in order further to promote and popularise sports and fitness activities among the general public. This was with a view to improving overall physical fitness and health within the community, added Mr Ho.

In addition, he noted recruitment of volunteers for the Macao Competition Zone at the 15th National Games had been officially launched in February 2023. As of this February, more than 9,000 people had registered to participate. The MSAR Government strove to mobilise various sectors of the community and to ignite the enthusiasm of the Macao public, to get people actively to engage in volunteer services, and to work together to ensure the successful organisation of the National Games.

Mr Ho stressed that the MSAR Government would strictly adhere to the requirements of “simplicity, safety, and brilliance” in organising the National Games. With the support of the Central Government, and under the overall guidance of the General Administration of Sport of China, Macao would collaborate with Guangdong and the HKSAR to present a spectacular National Games to the people of China. It would vividly showcase the achievements in Macao of “One country, two systems”, to domestic and international audiences, and assist in the work collectively to strive for the development of a strong sporting nation.

This year marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, and the first year for the implementation of the Development Plan for Appropriate Economic Diversification of the Macao Special Administrative Region (2024-2028), noted Mr Ho. Macao would steadfastly implement the “1+4” strategy for appropriate economic diversification, optimising the integrated tourism and leisure industry while continuously promoting the development of the strategy’s four key industries, i.e. “Big Health”; modern financial services; new and high-technology; and cultural tourism, convention and exhibition and commercial and trade industries.

The 15th National Games, being the first major national comprehensive sports event co-hosted by Macao, had significant importance for the sports sector locally, as well as for the city’s social and economic development. The event would provide crucial momentum to accelerate the implementation of the “1+4” development strategy and contribute to the development of Macao as a “city of sports”, said Mr Ho.

After the inauguration ceremony, the Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, Mr Gao Zhidan; the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong; and the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr John Lee Ka-chiu; along with the Chief Executive, Mr Ho, unveiled the plaque for the Organising Committee of the 15th National Games. Those four guests, and the President of the Executive Board of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, Mr Zhou Changkui, later unveiled the plaque for the Organising Committee for the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.

Other Macao officials in attendance included the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Ao Ieong U, and the Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Ho Ioc San.