Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) and Macau Special Olympics (MSO) launched the sixth edition of the “GEG Run with a Partner Training Programme” yesterday, with more than 150 participants joining the inclusive “fun run” at the Campo dos Operários da Associação Geral dos Operários de Macau (澳門工會聯合總會工人體育場).
The programme, sponsored by GEG and co-organised with MSO, brings together MSO athletes, GEG staff, students, and community representatives to promote inclusion through sport.
Former Hong Kong Olympic swimmer Alex Fong Lik-sun (方力申) was appointed MSO’s “Ambassador of Health, Inclusion and Care for the Macau Special Olympics” at the opening ceremony. Fong, an actor and singer, interacted with athletes and participants during the event, which featured team challenges and interactive activities designed to encourage cooperation between people with and without special educational needs. An information booth also encouraged residents to volunteer as guide runners.
MSO Executive Director Hetzer Siu Yu Hong said the six-year programme had helped build connections between runners and athletes, with participants increasingly becoming teammates. He thanked GEG for its continued support in promoting inclusion through community sports activities.
Speaking about Macau’s delegation at the Asian Para Games, which concluded on Saturday, Siu said the team’s results had broadly met expectations, with athletes doing their best in their respective events.
The delegation included experienced competitors and younger athletes, some as young as 14. While some veteran athletes maintained their standards, injuries affected the performances of some of the local athletes, Siu said, adding that the younger athletes had performed reasonably well but needed more opportunities to compete in major events to gain experience and improve their results.
The delegation, which failed to win any medals, was slated to return to Macau last night, Siu said.
Siu also said additional resources could help Macau’s athletes progress further, noting that limited training facilities remained a challenge. Hengqin and other areas in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) could provide venues for longer training camps, although arranging staff to accompany athletes remained difficult, he said.
Siu added that more parents were enquiring about sports opportunities for children with disabilities, reflecting growing recognition of sport as a potential long-term development path. He also said increasing female participation in disability sports warranted further study.
In November, Fong is scheduled to take part in two charity events supported by Galaxy resorts: a 35-kilometre Hong Kong-Macau charity swim and the “Waves Upon Waves” Hong Kong and Macau All-Star Charity Concert at Broadway Theatre in Broadway Macau. All concert ticket proceeds will go to charitable organisations.
Participants in the running programme will continue training with MSO athletes ahead of the Galaxy Entertainment Macau International Marathon on December 6.
Macau Special Olympics (MSO) National Director Hetzer Siu Yu Hong gives insights on local athletes’ performances and training facility needs during a press interview yesterday.
Guests, athletes and event mascots pose for a group photo before the launch of the sixth “GEG Run with a Partner Training Programme” yesterday at the Macau Workers’ Stadium. – Photos: Sherwin Hng
