Macau to host series of sports events in 2025 National Games including volleyball

Macau is set to take on table tennis, women’s volleyball, three-on-three basketball, men’s under-18 basketball, and karate in the 2025 National Games.

The announcement comes as Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng led organizers of Macau’s delegation to yesterday inaugural meeting on the 15th National Games in Guangzhou.

The meeting marked the formal establishment of the organizing committee overseeing preparations for the multi-sport event, which will be held across Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong Province in November 2025.

Zhang Xin, director of the State Sports General Administration’s Competition and Sports Department, said the 15th National Games will run from Nov. 9 to Nov. 21, 2025.

Guangzhou will host the opening ceremony while Shenzhen will host the closing ceremony.

There will be 34 major competitions and 401 minor events. Mass events have been divided into competitions and exhibitions.

According to Ho, the SAR plans to host two or three test matches this year in a bid to prepare for the National Games.

He added that Macau will fully participate in, and cooperate with, the work of the organizing committee and work with Guangdong and Hong Kong

He mentioned that various departments of the Macau Division Organizing Committee are preparing for various software and hardware facilities, competitions, receptions, publicity, and transportation.

“Regarding the competition, we are maintaining close cooperation and communication with relevant national project associations and relevant departments of Guangdong Province, conducting personnel training, and making full preparations,” said Ho.

In addition, he noted that the recruitment of volunteers for the 15th National Games had been officially launched in February 2023. As of this February, more than 9,000 people had registered to participate

Meanwhile, neighboring region Hong Kong Hong Kong will be hosting eight sports events including fencing and track cycling.

Also, Zhang said officials are considering connecting marathon and road cycling routes between the three regions to promote integrated development.

Formation of the organizing committee marks important progress as plans ramp up for the quadrennial event, which rotates among China’s provinces and territories.

Pun: Intense preparation underway

Sports Bureau (ID) director Pun Weng Kun has admitted that the Grand Prix and the 15th National Games, to take place at the same time, will be challenging given the intense preparation required.

However, Pun told the press that he is confident that authorities have already allocated sufficient manpower, and all government departments will actively provide assistance.

According to current assessments, Macau will use six to seven venues for the National Games, and is currently doing preliminary optimization, including lighting, network and optical fiber laying, among others.

“The current work is going smoothly and we are confident that it will be basically completed early next year,” Pun told the press on the sidelines of the meeting yesterday in Guangzhou, as cited in a TDM report.

Pun also said that it has collaborated with the hotel sector for athlete accommodation. Staff Reporter