A Macau swimmer (left) recently represented the region in the Paralympic Games in Rio
Macau must continue to strive to join the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said former Sports Bureau (ID) president Manuel Silvério in an interview with Lusa news agency.
“Macau should continue to strive to join this big Olympic family. Membership of the IOC is a right and it is the duty of the people of Macau to fight for it,” he said.
Silvério thinks that the territory should receive the same treatment as the neighboring region of Hong Kong, which has been a formal member of the IOC since 1952.
Silvério, who was in charge of the ID from 1996 to 2008, said Macau’s application for formal membership “has never been formally or informally refused”, highlighting that membership of the IOC – together with membership of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) – is very important, as is the fact that Macau is able to participate in the Asian Games.
Since 1996, the IOC rules have stated that only independent states can be members, and have excluded Macau as a region under mainland Chinese influence.
The Chief Executive raised this issue, highlighting past efforts undertaken to achieve this goal. Although Macau has never been able to bring any athletes to the Olympics, it has participated in the Paralympics since 1988.
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