The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, talks to athletes contesting the 15th National Games.
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, confirmed that preparatory work has been completed within the Macao Competition Zone of the 15th National Games. He called on everyone to maintain their full commitment to delivering high-standard events that enable athletes to perform at their best.
On Thursday (6 November), Mr Sam inspected all seven competition venues of the Macao Competition Zone and other supporting facilities, including the Command Centre and athlete accommodation.
The 15th National Games are being jointly held by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The opening ceremony takes place on 9 November, and the Games will run until 21 November.
Macao’s seven competition venues will host a total of five sporting disciplines for the National Games and one sporting discipline for respectively the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games. The venues and competitions are: Galaxy Arena for Table Tennis; the Venetian Arena for Volleyball (Adult Women); the Macao East Asian Games Dome for Volleyball (Adult Women) and for Badminton in the National Games for the Disabled; Studio City Event Center and Tap Seac Multi-sports Pavilion for Basketball (Men's Under-18 Category); Wynn Palace outdoor lawn for 3x3 Basketball; and Macao Forum for National Games Karate events and for Badminton events for the National Special Olympics.
Mr Sam is also Executive Director of the Organising Committee of the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities, and the 9th National Special Olympic Games. Also taking part in Thursday’s visit to the Macao Competition Zone were the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Mr Zheng Xincong; the Secretary for Security, Chan Tsz King; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms O Lam; and the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service, Mr Leong Man Cheong.
The Chief Executive visited athlete accommodation for interactions with competitors, and inspected the Command Centre, the Main Press Centre, and the International Broadcast Centre at the Macao East Asian Games Dome, where Mr Sam had words of encouragement for volunteers and operational staff.
Throughout the tour of the Macao Competition Zone, Mr Sam received detailed briefings regarding event preparations, volunteer coordination, athlete arrangements, and deployments concerning medical, security, and transport matters. He confirmed that technical setup had been completed at all Macao competition venues, with personnel and support systems fully operational. He expressed confidence that the high-level coordination between all Macao Organising Committee members would ensure quality event delivery and effective response capabilities.
The Chief Executive said the successful organisation of Macao events for the Games represented a top-priority task for the MSAR Government this year. It reflected the Central Government’s trust in Macao, while carrying profound significance for the MSAR's sports development and socioeconomic progress. While acknowledging the effective preparations, Mr Sam directed the Macao Organising Committee to maintain rigorous attention to detail under the principle of “simplicity, safety, and brilliance”in the delivery process, to ensure the Macao events for the Games are completed successfully.
The programme in the Macao Competition Zone commenced on Thursday with Karate events at Macao Forum. Mr Sam watched the Karate Men’s Amateur bronze-medal match and the competition’s final match, taking in the National Games’ atmosphere.
Mr Sam then presented the gold, silver and bronze medals to the respective winners, and congratulated the Macao team on securing the MSAR's first gold medal in the 15th National Games. Mr Sam acknowledged that the Macao athletes’ vibrant, determined performance embodied Macao’s dynamic spirit. He encouraged all other local athletes taking part to seize this opportunity to surpass personal limits, build friendships, and fully demonstrate sporting excellence while competing against national counterparts.
