O Lam: Gov’t will continue to invest in improving level of local sports

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, O Lam, has said that the government will continue to increase its investment, optimize resource allocation, and strive to improve the overall level of local sports.

O Lam was speaking during the opening speech of the Sports Council plenary meeting, held this morning at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.

The Secretary also noted that the government has set goals to promote the deeper integration of sports and sporting activities within the context of Macau’s urban development.

The meeting focused on preparations for the co-hosting of the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for People with Disabilities, and the 9th Special Olympics Games, which will take place in Macau, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou this November.

On this topic, O Lam said she hopes the event will demonstrate high quality and contribute to building a healthy and vibrant Macau.

She also expressed a desire that hosting major sports events will lead to increased interest among local residents in participating in sports and improving their performance levels.

As in a recent comment at the Legislative Assembly, O Lam reaffirmed the role of sports in promoting the physical and mental health of different groups, stating that it is a government goal to launch more competitions, training opportunities, international sports events, and technical workshops to improve local athletes’ training and competition conditions.

She also continued to highlight the link between sports and tourism under the “Tourism + Sports” initiative, stating that the government aims to create more attractive international sports events and combine sports, tourism, and culture to drive economic development.

Despite the long list of goals and aspirations, the Secretary did not present, on this occasion, any concrete measures, plans, or timelines for developing such work.