Overseas training for local athletes continues amid pandemic

Local athletes have intermittently received special training outside of Macau over the past few years during the Covid-19 pandemic, President Pun Weng Kun of the Sports Bureau (ID) said.

In response to lawmaker Ma Io Fong’s inquiry on sports planning and development in Macau, Pun emphasized that local athletes have attended training sessions in a variety of places.

Pun highlighted that athletes from martial arts, fencing, badminton, judo, taekwondo and several others have received training in mainland China.

Some karate, swimming and squash athletes also trained in Australia, Georgia, the US and the UK in preparation for the Asian Games 2022, which was postponed to September 2023.

The sports chief also emphasized that the bureau has been in constant contact with all stakeholders to ensure the wellbeing of local athletes during stadium closures and de-facto lockdowns.

“Through uninterrupted training and substituting training with matches, we have tried our best to minimize the impact on athletes due to Covid-19, so that they can resume training right after the end of the pandemic,” Pun said.

The sports chief reiterated that Lots A9 and B4 at the New Urban Zone A had been allocated for sports usage, with A9 being a multipurpose sports venue. He added that the bureau is conducting a survey on sports facilities in Macau to obtain data for future policymaking.

In addition, the ID has regularly organized public sporting events to encourage people in all age groups to exercise. He added that the function of booking sports grounds had been introduced to the Macao One Account government service app, providing greater convenience for venue users. AL