To heighten the sports atmosphere among international tourists and local residents, during the tournament, GEG and the organizers jointly held the “100 Days to Paris” event at the Outdoor Lawn near Galaxy Macau, along with the Olympic champion table tennis players joining this ITTF event, Ma Long and Chen Meng. The guests shared their aspirations for the Paris Olympics and previous unforgettable experiences, with a view to welcome the quadrennial world-class sports event with the community. Several autograph sessions were also held at the East Square of Galaxy Macau, where leading table tennis players Liang Jingkun, Wang Manyu, Shin Yubin and Adriana Diaz interacted with and presented autographs to table tennis enthusiasts, creating an electric atmosphere. Meanwhile, GEG also invited numerous elite players to join the shooting of cuisine-related promotional videos, and launched food and beverage privileges and on-site lucky draws during the event, giving away prizes such as luxury hotel stays, Galaxy Macau dining and shopping vouchers, showcasing the diverse charms of Macau as a “City of Sports” to spectators and sports enthusiasts worldwide.
Furthermore, to enhance local young peoples’ interest in sports, GEG invited students from the Macao University of Tourism to participate in the “Backstage Tour” activity, allowing them to visit the training hall, press conference hall, mixed zone and field of play area, etc., providing them with the opportunity to closely interact with the participating table tennis players and take photos with the event trophies. Additionally, GEG also invited over 600 members from 20 local social service organizations, including centers under the Macau Federation of Trade Unions and the General Union of Neighbourhood Association of Macau; elderly care centers under the Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society; the Youth Association of the Women’s General Association of Macau; the Macau Special Olympics; the Macau Autism Association and the Macau Deaf Association, etc., to enjoy the matches on-site with GEG volunteers and experience the charm of table tennis.
The return of ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao, with its men’s and women’s singles matches being held in Macau for the first time, marked a glamorous addition to Macau’s growing portfolio of international sports events, and the first top-tier international table tennis tournament held at the Galaxy Arena. As Macau’s newest, most advanced, and largest indoor arena, the Galaxy Arena, with its state-of-the-art software and hardware equipment, received high recognition and acclaim from the organizers, staff, players and all parties involved, while providing an extraordinary and unforgettable experience for all spectators. Moving forward, GEG will continue to support, organize and participate in a variety of sports events and related activities, as well as promote the integrated development of Macau’s sports and tourism industries through multi-pronged approaches, to solidify Macau’s position as the “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”.
