National Games | Pun: Athletes set example for young people

As two swimmers representing the Macau Special Administrative Region exerted themselves in the preliminary contest of the women’s 50m freestyle swimming at China’s 14th National Games on Saturday, Pun Weng Kun, deputy head of the Macau sports delegation, said.
Three athletes from Macau participated in swimming preliminaries on Saturday. Although they did not qualify for the semifinals, Pun was still satisfied with their performance.
“Most of the Macau athletes are non-professional and they know that their competitors are very strong. But they don’t lose heart. Rather, they just go for it,” said Pun.
He noted that athletes have been “training hard and made their best efforts” in every competition at the National Games. “They have set a good example for young people in Macau,” he added.
A total of 102 athletes representing Macau participated in China’s 14th National Games.
Karate athlete Jugo Kuok Kin Hang brought Macau its first ever National Games medal, winning bronze.
“Both our athletes in Xi’an, and Macau residents were very excited about our first ever medal,” said Pun, who believes that it will encourage more Macau residents to participate in mass sports and exercise more regularly to improve their physical fitness.
“The atmosphere of the Games will enable all Macau residents to love our motherland and the SAR more wholeheartedly,” he added.
In recent days, Pun watched the performance of most Macau athletes in different gyms.
“It’s really a big stage,” he said, adding that compared with overseas events, the National Games enable “athletes to compete at home with their families and share the same feeling”.
In the eyes of the Macau sports delegation, China’s 15th National Games, to be co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau in 2025, will make sports more popular among Macau residents. In hosting, the city hopes to show its development and attract more visitors to fuel its economic and tourism growth.
“We will welcome athletes across the country to compete in Macau four years later,” Pun added. MDT/Xinhua