Authorities confirm pullout from Korean University Games

A teacher checks the temperature of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (1st right) at an elementary school in Seoul. The MERS scare has resulted in the withdrawal of the Macau delegation to the Universiade

The Sport Development Board confirmed yesterday that, given the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea, Macau has officially pulled out of next month’s World University Games (Universiade) due to the government’s concerns about the possible impact on the participants’ health. The announcement confirms the Times’ report on Monday, which stated that at least a part of the local delegation would not be attending the games, which are to be held from July 3 to 14 in Gwangju, South Korea.
“After considering the athletes’ health, we have decided not to attend the games,” confirmed the General Assembly President of the Macau Universitarian Sports Association, Ryo Lou Kit Long, in a telephone interview. The association was organizing the delegation to the sporting event. “We have also issued a letter to the games committee there with the Macau Sport Development Board’s understanding and consent,” he revealed.
The organizer added that it contacted the coaches involved in the team about a week ago, who confirmed their participation in eight categories of the Universiade for the past six months.
After the Tourism Crisis Management Office raised the travel alert level, as he said, many local athletes proactively approached the authorities, asking about a possible cancellation before verbal notifications were offered to them to explain the withdrawal. “Many sportsmen told us that they’re quite concerned about the situation in Korea,” he said, adding that the government was eager to join the games before their internal risk analysis on the trip.
Swimming, diving, athletics, badminton, table tennis, judo, taekwondo and fencing were supposedly the categories in which around 60 delegates were scheduled to compete.
The MERS virus scared not only the athletes but also their families, as the president said they also received messages from the students’ parents.
“Some parents were also worried [and asked] if this time the authorities should not deploy any team,” said Lou.
Despite the worrying situation in Korea, some of the athletes still expressed their desire to attend the biennial event. Yet the organizer said that the decision to withdraw was made after “considering different sides”, as the trip was “a collective activity” to represent Macau abroad.  Staff reporter