Tap Seac Indoor Stadium
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Reconstruction of Macau Stadium
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Venue Information

Macao East Asian Games Dome
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v01.jpg
Conclusion Date: December 2004
Nearby facilities: International Shooting Range, Macau Tennis Academy & Bowling Centre

Main Arena
Seats: Total 7,087 seats
3,820 fixed seats
1,708 retractable seats
1,559 removable seats
Suited Sports: Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, Wushu, Taekwondo, Karate-do, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, all ball sports, combat sports, DanceSport, Indoor Track and Field, extreme Sports

Secondary Hall
Seats: 1,992 fixed seats
Suited Sports: Exhibition sports , most ball games, combat sports
Exhibition Hall
Suited Functions: Exhibition, Trade Fairs

Convention Centre
Capacity: 2,000 people
Suited Functions: Ideal for large banquets, large scale meetings, exhibitions and conventions

Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v02.jpg
Conclusion Date: October 2004
Nearby Facilities: Vasco da Gama Car Park, 6 Hotels

Pavilion
Seats: Total 3,316 seats.
2,043 fixed seats,
1,084 retractable seats and
189 VIP seats.
Suited Sports: Basketball, Futsal, Gymnastics, Karate-do, Taekwando, Weightlifting, Wushu, Badminton, Handball, Table Tennis, Volleyball

Macau Stadium and Pavilion
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v03.jpg
Conclusion Date: December 2004
Nearby facilities: Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre, Hockey Centre, 4 floors and outdoor car park, Multi-purpose Zone, two 4-star hotels, Macau Jockey Club

Stadium

Seats: Total 16,251 seats
13,378 fixed seats
954 VIP seasts
1,919 press seats
Suited Sports: Football, Track and Field

Pavilion
Seats: Total 908 seats
368 fixed seats
540 retractable seats
Suited Sports: Volleyball, Basketball, Wushu, Taekwando, Karate-do, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, Gymnastics, Acrobatic Cycling.

IPM Multisport Pavilion
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v04.jpg
Nearby facilities: Macau Forum, Media and Information Centre, New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal, 10 hotels

Pavilion
Seats: Total 3,742 seats.
2,636 fixed Seats,
768 retractable seats
168 press seats
170 VIP seats.
Suited Sports: Basketball, Karate-do, Taekwando, Wushu, Handball, Badminton, Futsal, Table Tennis, Volleyball

Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v05.jpg
Seats: 1,500 fixed seats
Nearby facilities: Macau Stadium and Pavilion, Hockey Centre, 4 floors and outdoor car park, Multi-purpose Zone, two 4-star hotels, Macau Jockey Club

50m Pool
Use: Aquatic sports, from swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo to fin swimming.
25m Pool
Use: Diving. Also functions as the main pool's warm-up pool during competitions.

Macau Forum
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v06.jpg
Construction Details: Change to diffusion air-conditioning system, change VIP seats
Conclusion Date: August 2004
Nearby Facilities: Media and Information Centre, IPM Multisport Pavilion, New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal, 10 hotels

Forum I
Seats: 3,895 fixed seats
Suited Sports: Volleyball, Basketball, Wushu, Taekwando, Karate-do, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, DanceSport, Roller Hockey

Media and Information Centre
http://www.maigoc2007.com/img/v07.jpg
Conclusion Date: August 2004
Functions: Built to house the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcasting Centre.
Nearby facilities : Macau Forum, IPM Multisport Pavilion, New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal, 10 hotels

Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre
The first major sport infrastructure investment of the Macao SAR Government to be completed, the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre covers a total area of 10,172.7 m2 and has a seating capacity of 1,500. The Aquatic Centre has been built with a diving pool of 25 metres by 25 metres that has an adjustable base reaching a maximum depth of 5 metres, and a 10-lane standard swimming pool, 50 metres in length.

Macau International Shooting Range
Adjacent to the Macau East Asian Games Dome, the Macau International Shooting Range will cover a total area of 73,600 m2 and is to be built for 10 metres, 25 metres and 50 metres shooting.

Macau Hockey Centre
Adjacent to the Macau Stadium, the Macau Hockey Centre is known to meet the highest requirement of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Covering a total area of 11,600 m2, the Macau Hockey Centre offers a high quality artificial grass field with an extensive run-off area.

Participating Countries & Regions

P. R. China, Macau SAR, D.P.R. Korea, Mongolia, Hong Kong SAR, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Guam, Korea

Macao Olympic Aquatic Center
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Springboard
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25m pool
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Jacuzzi
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50m pool
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25m and 50m pool
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LED Digital Screen
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Sauna
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Steam
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Multi-purpose Room - 1 floor
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Multi-purpose Room - 2 floor
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Office Room
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Reception
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Building from exterior
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Main Entrance
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Car Park
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Pavilon
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Video Control Room
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The court
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Entrance
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Building Exterior
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Reception
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Souvenir Display
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Internet Room
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Study Room
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Table Tennis Room
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Snooker Room
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Model Display Room
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Leisure Area
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Food and Beverage Area
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Reception Rooms
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Exhibition Area
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Environmental Seminar Room
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Dancing Room
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Changing Room
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Corridor
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Band Room
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Corridor
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Conference Room
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how many of these stadiums are being reconstruceted, and how many are being built?

hi sunni .. long time no c u around !!

about 10 to 15 underconstruction or reconstruction .. unfortunately because some of the stadiums in Macau are not meeting the EA games standards, so they have to reconstruct again .. what are waste of money

2004/11/24 - Macau East Asia Dome
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Macau East Asia Dome

Area: 139,960m square
Observations: Construction started on 27th February 2003, and estimated to conclude in December 2004.

http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/cn/image/dome/new2.jpg

Macau Dome
2004/12/14
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MACAO, Jan. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- The 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC) of the Macao Special Administrative Region has signed an agreement with 23 local hotels booking hotel rooms to meet the accommodation needs during the 4th East Asian Games this year.

The contract will ensure over 3,000 rooms in the 23 hotels, which fall to either four or five-star rankings. This meant that the MEAGOC has booked 60 percent of Macao's four and five-star hotel rooms for the games.

The MEAGOC will allocate some 47 million patacas (about 6 million US dollars) for contracting the hotel rooms. MEAGOC officials considered the sum of expenditure is more economic than building a new games village to provide accommodation for the event.

The 4th East Asian Games to be held between Oct. 29 and Nov. 6 this year will be the largest sports event ever host by Macao. Around 6,000 participants were estimated to be gathering in Macao during the games. They include athletes, officials, East Asian Games Association and Olympic family members, media, and invited guests.

The MEAGOC has designated the Landmark Hotel as the headquarters hotel, another eight hotels for sports delegations, four hotels for technical officials, three VIPs hotels, two hotelsfor the Host Broadcaster and five for media.

Besides the hotel rooms, the organizing committee is seeing to the building of a boarding complex on the Taipa Island of Macao, which will provide some 4,000 rooms for athletes and coaches participating the event. Enditem

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Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee held the ''CTM joins Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Sponsorship Programme'' signing ceremony on 26th January. CTM will become the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Main Sponsor, and will jointly promote Macao's biggest multisport games ever held.
The signing ceremony was held at 6 p.m. in the 6th floor auditorium at MEAGOC's Headquarters. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On presided the ceremony as MEAGOC's Chariman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silvério and CTM Chief Executive Officer David Kay signed the agreement. After the signing of the agreenment, MEAGOC Director responsable for the Internacional Affairs, Marketing and hospitality Department Isabel da Silva and David Kay delivered their speeches. The CTM Director of Communications Fernanda Madeira also introduced the first phase of cooperation in promotion, which will further arise attentions of local public to the organizing of the 4th East Asian Games.
After the introduction, all guests proceeded to the unveiling of the plaque ceremony on the 5th floor. The unveiling of the plaque presided once again by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On officially announces CTM joining Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Sponsorship Programme as Main Sponsor. Guests present include CTM Chief Operating Officer Vandy Poon and MEAGOC Board of Directors.

Leaded by Vice President of CCTV He Zongjiu, a CCTV delegation of 38 members had visited Macao earlier for pre-production preparations such as venues, competition, transmission, etc. The CCTV delegation met with representatives of MEAGOC, TDM and CTM which produced fruitful outcomes.

The delegation arrived on 23rd Jan and carried out a 4-day site inspections and meetings. They visited the venues of the Games and exchanged opinions about technical issues, policies and operations of broadcasting with staff of 3 competition zones, IT and media departments of MEAGOC.

The site inspections and meetings provide fundamentals for television broadcast of the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games. They are also essential in fostering cooperation between the areas of TV broadcasting and Competition, as well as in other areas.

Representatives from another member of the East Asian Games Host Broadcaster Teledifusão de Macau (TDM) and from local satellite provider Companhia Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM) also participated in the meetings and site inspections. The discussions between the four parties further provide understanding and progress on technical as well as cooperation issues, which better prepare MEAGOC in the coordination in Television Broadcasting.

The delegation included Vice President of CCTV He Zongjiu, Director of Transmission Centre Huang Pinggang, Vice Director of Sports Centre Zhou Jing, Director of Competition of Sports Centre Yang Bin, and representatives from Guangdong Television, Wuhan Television, Tianjian Television which include directors of 15 sports: Bowling, Shooting, Gymnastics, SportsDance, Wushu, Taskwondo, Karate-do, Weightlifting, Basketball, Tennis, Soft Tennis, Football, Athletics, Hockey, and Swimming. Other members of the delegation are from the control centre, production, post production, technical broadcasting, electricity, communications, etc.

Furthermore, CCTV will meet with MEAGOC in Macao again in three months time regarding the television production of the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and other cultural events of the East Asian Games. CCTV will assist MEAGOC in the installation of the IBC and the press centres of the three competition areas.

Anthems
http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/mp3/anthem_music.mp3

Three directors and choreographers from Beijing BeiAo Grand Cultural & Sports Events Company (BeiAo), which is responsible for the design of the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 4th East Asian Games, arrived on2nd Feb. in Macao. They held discussions with representatives from MEAGOC and the various performing entities on the 3rd floor of the Press and Information Centre, regarding the rehearsal schedules in the coming months and also to explain the overall rundown of the Opening Ceremony. The rehearsals for the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games will be commencing soon.

The meeting presided by MEAGOC Director Eric Chau Ka Lai include introduction to all performing schools and organizations the rehearsal program of the Opening Ceremony, by BeiAo Chief Executive Director Dai Decai, Choreographers Qu Ailing and Fung Wei. The numbers of participants as well as the requirements of performers in different acts were confirmed. BeiAo directors for these performances will arrive in Macao in late February to teach local tutors, followed by group rehearsals between March and May. Rehearsal for the complete performance will start in June. Participants in this meeting include: Kao Yip High School Ms. Wang Yingjie, Hou Kong High School Mr. Li Dong, Macau Kung Luen Vocational & Technical School Mr. Leong Ian, The Workers' Children High School Mr. Ran Hui, Fong Chong School of Taipa Mr. Leung Kin Cheong, Escola dos Moradores de Macau Mr. Fan Sai Cheong, Kun Luen Sports Committee Mr. Kuan Pui Chi and General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau Sports Committee Mr. Cheang Iok.

I'm glad to see Macau is hosting these games! It' ll be very good for the cities' prestige!!

2005-02-16

A delegation from the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC) specially came to Macao on 15th and 16th this month to meet with the Macao Olympic Committee. Macao is invited to join the Torch Relay for the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. Both parties exchanged opinions on relay route and detailed arrangements.

The meeting was held in the office of the Macao Olympic Committee. Head of Torch Relay Event Operations Vidar Eilertsen and Escord Program Coordinator Hassan Al Suwaidi, both from DAGOC's Ceremonies and Cultural Events Department, explained the purpose and significance of the torch relay event. Vidar Eilertsen stated that the activity can arise awareness and encourage participation for people in Asia in the Asian Games. It will also demonstrate to the world the bountiful scene in Doha. DAGOC expects delegations from more than 40 Asian countries and regions, including the Macau Olympic Committee, to participate in this event. The torch is expected to arrive at the Asian Games Host Country of Qatar on 8th November 2006.

Both parties decided that the Torch Relay will be held in late August or mid-September 2006 in Macao. The Macao Olympic Committee suggested that the Headquarters of the three multisports Games Organising Committees will be the Starting Point for the Torch Relay, with a denotation that it is the origin of Macao's sports business contact with the world. To increase promotional value, torch bearers will follow a route along several of Macao major landmarks. Macao will select 15-20 local athletes who will participate in the Doha Asian Games as torch bearers in this event. DAGOC consent with the suggestions of MOC and look forward to further related discussions between the two parties.
Present at this meeting also include Macau Olympic Committee First Vice-President Manuel Silvério, Treasury Frederico Nolasco da Silva, International Affairs Isabel da Silva and Cultural Events Eric Chau.

2005-02-17

Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee held the ''DHL Joins 4th East Asian Games Sponsorship Programme'' Ceremony on 17th February. DHL Express (Macao) Ltd became the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Sponsor and pledges to perfect the Games in logistic services.

The ceremony was held in the Headquarters of MEAGOC at 5p.m.. Chairman of Boards of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério and Station Manager of DHL Express (Macao) Ltd Vincent Pao signed the arrangement under the witness of Deputy Consul General of Germany (Head of Economics & Trade Section) Helmut Rausch and Chairman of German-Macau Business Association Tong Un.

With the international brand of DHL joining in the Sponsorship Programme, Director of MEAGOC Isabel da Silva remarked that it is an affirmation of the confidence the international business community has and the value they place on the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games ~ an event that MEAGOC agreed would further enhance Macao's international profile. MEAGOC is committed to organising a most successful and memorable edition of the Games, and MEAGOC look forward to cooperating closely with all our partners to achieve this goal; as well as to showcase this dynamic city to the world together.

Vincent Pao said that on worldwide front, DHL is the Official Logistics Partner of Formula One. In Asia Pacific, DHL has been sponsoring major sport events such as Hong Kong Rugby Tens Tournament, Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens Tournament and Thailand Tennis Open, etc. DHL shares with athletes the same dedication to excel in performance, the desire to outperform their peers, as well as the appreciation of teamwork ~ the cornerstones of DHL's success. The 4th East Asian Games will showcase extraordinary efforts by athletes to compete for medals in the spirit of exemplary sportsmanship.

The plaque was unveiled by both parties after the signing ceremony.

HONG KONG, Feb. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- DHL, the world's leading express and logistics company, announced here Tuesday its sponsorship of the 4th East Asian Games in Macao, the largest international sports event that has ever been hosted by the Macao SAR.

The sponsorship agreement was signed by Manuel Silverio, board chairman of the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC), and Vincent Pao, station manager of DHL Express (Macao) Limited. Also attending the ceremony were Helmut Rausch, Deputy Consul General of Germany (Head of Economics and Trade Section) and Tony Un, Chairman of the German-Macao Business Association.

Kelly Yu, General Manager, DHL Express Hong Kong, said, "DHL is proud to be able to play an active part in supporting the Macao 2005, 4th East Asian Games. Events such as this provide invaluable opportunities for exchanges within the region, thereby fueling the momentum of co-operation on all fronts."

The East Asian Games, launched in 1993, aim to encourage sports and cultural exchanges between the National Olympic Committees in the East Asian region. Participating at the Macao 2005, 4th East Asian Games will be athletes from China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Macao SAR, Guam and Mongolia.

"DHL shares with athletes the same dedication to excel, the desire to outperform, as well as the appreciation of teamwork the cornerstones of DHL's success. The East Asian Games will showcase extraordinary efforts by athletes who will be competing for medals in the spirit of exemplary sportsmanship," continued Yu.

In addition to the Macao 2005, 4th East Asian Games, DHL has been a keen supporter of major sports events around the world, which includes serving as the Official Logistics Partner of Formula One. In Asia Pacific, the company has sponsored such events as the Hong Kong Rugby Tens Tournament, the Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens Tournament and the Thailand Tennis Open.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Tennis Academy and Bowling Centre was held on 22ndth April. Both venues will play an important role for the East Asian Games 2005, and also encourage the development of tennis and bowling for Macau.

The ceremony which took place at 12:00p.m., was presided over by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Dr. Fernando Chui Sai On together with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Mr. Manuel Silvério, and guests of honour. It marks the launching of the venues construction which will host Tennis, Soft Tennis and Bowling competitions during the East Asian Games. Macau will be provided with qualified and well equipped venues for the development of those sports after the conclusion of such venues.

Situated in the COTAI International Sports Complex, the Tennis Academy and Bowling Centre is a neighboring venue to the Macau East Asian Games Dome and the Macau International Shooting Range. With a centre court surrounded by 880 spectator seats, the Tennis Academy provides eight tennis courts and a restaurant as well. Meanwhile, the Bowling Centre provides twenty-four bowling lanes with three hundreds spectator seats, restaurants and 3 squash courts.

Adjacent to the Macau East Asian Games Dome, the Macau International Shooting Range will cover a total area of 73,600 m2 and is to be built for 10 metres, 25 metres and 50 metres shooting.

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Police are practising reactions to various kinds of emergencies, including terrorist attacks at gym entrances, biochemical hand grenades, car bombings and kidnappings.

The fourth East Asia Games is being held from October 29th to November 6th in Macao. Nearly 3,000 athletes from all over Asia will compete for medals in 17 different sports.

The new local landmark situated in the COTAI zone, the Macau East Asian Games Dome, will be officially inaugurated on 5 July. To celebrate the event, the organiser invited pop singers George Lam, Leo Koo and Miriam Yeung as performing artist in a cultural night on the day of inauguration.

The Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) hosted the venue's first press conference in its Press Centre on 10 June to announce the exciting event. Chief Executive of Macao SAR Government Ho Hau Wah will be the officiating guest for the inauguration ceremony on 5 July, at 19:00. Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério introduced the arrangement for the inauguration believed that the Inauguration will be another major cultural test event for MEAGOC staff and volunteers.

''MEAGOC motivated approximately 1,000 performers from 6 organisations and schools in the inauguration ceremony, and 300 volunteers will be taking part in the various tasks. This is an important test for the venue, the facilities, our staff, performers and the volunteers, and will surely be a spectacular cultural event,'' remarked Manuel Silvério.

George Lam and Leo Koo Kui Kei, performers in the Inauguration celebrations, remarked at the press conference that the Macau East Asian Games Dome is an ideal and beautiful sports infrastructure. They are honored to perform in the Inauguration of the Dome and will consider the idea of hosting their future concerts here. Director of Yiu Wing Entertainment Co. Ltd Cheung Yiu Wing also remarked that the Dome is an ideal performing venue and expects future cooperation opportunities with MEAGOC.

Tickets prices for the Inauguration of the Macau East Asian Games Dome are 100 and 200 patacas and will be on sale from 13 June at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, IPM Multisport Pavilion, MEAGOC Headquarters and Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Youth Centre. Exclusive half price discounts are available for volunteers of the 4th East Asian Games.

Comissário Superintendent Lam Man Wai introduced the transportation arrangement and shuttle services on the Inauguration day. Shuttle services will be provided between the Macau East Asian Games Dome and three routes to the A-Ma Temple bus station, the Macau Tower and the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre.

The Macau East Asian Games Dome is the largest indoor venue in scale in Macau at present and is located in the COTAI zone between Taipa and Coloane. It consists of 4 sections: Arena, Theatre, Exhibition Centre and Macau International Convention Centre. The Inauguration Ceremony will be held at the Arena with approximately 7,000 seats including the retractable seats.

The Closing Ceremony and three sports events: Gymnastics, Weightlifting and Dance Sport will be held in the Arena and Theatre during the Games. To further test the operation of the Dome, MEAGOC will organise the ''2005 9th FIVB Girls' U18 World Volleyball Championship'' in the Dome from 23 to 31 July this year.

On the occasion of the 2nd Anniversary of the launching of the East Asian Games Volunteer Program on 13 June, the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) and its volunteers joined in a postcard movement to invite Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah to the Opening Ceremony of the Games.

Volunteers and performers joined in the signing of invitation postcards, specially designed by MEAGOC, to the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Government. They look forward for the opportunity to demonstrate their devoted performances, in contributing to a dynamic and most spectacular first multisport Games ever hosted by Macao.

Until yesterday, MEAGOC has collected thousands of postcards to send to Mr. Edmund Ho on 14 June. All expressed eager hopes that Mr. Edmund Ho will accept the invitation to the East Asian Games Opening Ceremony and will enjoy the performance which volunteers and performers will have been rehearsing for several months.

The second day of the Macau 4th East Asian Games Test Event Gymnastics Invitation Competition ran smoothly with local athletes Xu Wei and Zhang Bin on the 1st and 2nd places in Men¡¦s Individual All-around Finals. Guangdong athletes won all three places in the Women¡¦s Individual All-around Finals.

On the second day of the Gymnastics test event, athletes from the five participating cities competed at their best, and demonstrated fruitful results of their dedicated trainings.

One of these are proven in the Men¡¦s Individual All-around Finals which Xu Wei and Zhang Bin from Macao gained the highest scores and won the first two places. The results are as follows:
Place Name Location Score
1st Xu Wei Macao 52.3
2nd Zhang Bin Macao 50.7
3rd Mo Zhi Guangdong 48.3

Women athletes from Guangdong Team won all the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in the Women¡¦s Individual All-around Finals. The results as follows:
Place Name Location Score
1st Chen Senjie Guangdong 35.75
2nd Chen Yanqing Guangdong 33.9
3rd Xie Yanlin Guangdong 33.7

In 26 June match, athletes will compete in the Individual Apparatus Finals for Men and Women. The time for the matches are between 3p.m. to 4:30p.m., and 7p.m. to 8:30p.m. A total of ten gold medals will be awarded.

Another objective of this Gymnastics test event is to test the coordination of the various departments in MEAGOC, including Competition, Protocol, Catering, Transportation, Media Services and Volunteers. With the experience acquired in the first day, the operations of the event in the second day have been smoothened. Aside from Gymnastics, MEAGOC will continue to organize a series of test events for the different sports before the 4th East Asian Games, to ensure success during the Games.

To facilitate the public in participating in this event, MEAGOC have arranged free shuttle buses between the Luso Bank in Nam Van area and the Macau East Asian Games Dome. The bus will also stop en route at Hotel Taipa Square.

MEAGOC invited some from gymnastics team representatives including Vice-President of Gymnastics Management Centre of the China State Sport General Administration Gao Jian on June 25 to join in a lunch for supporting the Macau 4th East Asian Games Test Event Gymnastics Invitation Competition.
"This test is maintained at a low cost, considering that the teams invited are nearby cities and regions including Guangdong, Guangzhou, Jiangmen, Hong Kong, China to compete in the test event. On the other hand, it is a spectacular event for spectators because China, as we all know, has international level Gymnastics athletes. MEAGOC expects this event to be a good experience as well as very cost effective" said Manuel Silvério. He continued that the budget for this the test event is 5 hundred thousand patacas, and during the 4th East Asian Games, he expects that eight countries and regions will be participating in the Gymnastics Event.
Also Technical Delegate of the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Gymnastics Event, Gao Jian praised the lighting and supporting facilities at the Macau East Asian Games Dome. As the largest Gymnastics event in scale ever held in Macao, Gao gave high opinions to this test event which he believed has reached international standards. "MEAGOC provided the finest competition environment to athletes, whether in terms of the facilities or human resources. MEAGOC have also shown professionalism in the technical arrangements as well as details."
Guests attending the lunch include: Division Director of Department of Publicity and Culture of Liaison Office of the Central People¡¦s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region Dong Jun, Vice Director of Gymnastics Management Centre in Guangdong Province Zheng Ruhong, Head of Competition Division of Sport Department in Jiangmen Zhou Guohui, Chairman of Guangzhou Gymnastics Association and representative of Guangzhou Professional Institute Wang Yunquan and Director of MEAGOC Gisela Nunes

The organising committee of the Macao East Asian Games (MEAGOC) said on Sunday that the gymnastics invitation tournament, its second test event of the Games, has come to a successful conclusion.

MEAGOC has organized around 200 staff and volunteers to participate in the organisation of this test event, testing the competition management, venue and equipment operations, hospitality, liaison, protocol, information technology, media services and medical service.

To ensure that this test event will reach the standards during the East Asian Games, MEAGOC has strictly requested all departments to follow the required procedures in testing of their tasks.

In competition, the six events for men and four events for women are organised according to the gymnastics tournament during the East Asian Games.

MEAGOC staff also learnt from experts to install and assist in the setup of equipments recognized by the international gymnasticsfederation.

MEAGOC Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silverio said that in the three days of competition, the organising committee has aimed for the success in hosting the East Asian Games.

"With this same goal, they have dedicated and coordinated in their tasks and have smoothen the operations in hosting this competition," he added.

A total of 78 athletes from five teams, including Guangdong, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jianmen and Macao competed in this test event.

The fourth East Asian Games will be held from October 29 to November 6 in Macao.

The matches on the last day of the Macau 4th East Asian Games Test Event Gymnastics Invitation Competition were completed on June 26. Six Gold Medals for Men's Individual Apparatus and four for Women's Individual Apparatus were awarded.
After the two days of competition, the Individual Apparatus Finals was held on the last day of the Gymnastics test event. Athletes competed in six events for Men's Individual Apparatus including Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vaulting Table, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar; four events for Women's Individual Apparatus include Vaulting Table, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise. Athletes have shown high standards of performance, the fruitful results of their dedicated practice. The scores are as follows:

Men's Floor Exercise
Prize Name Place Score
1st Xu Wei Macao, China 8.50
2nd Zhang Bin Macao, China 8.30
3rd Mo Zhi Guangdong 8.15

Men's Pommel Horse
Prize Name Place Score
1st Zhang Bin Macao, China 9.00
2nd Li Junhao Guangdong 8.45
3rd Xu Wei Macao, China 8.35

Men's Rings
Prize Name Place Score
1st Mo Zhi Guangdong 9.25
1st Zhong Jian Hong Kong, China 9.25
3rd Li Junhao Guangdong 8.65

Men's Vaulting Table
Prize Name Place Score
1st Xu Wei Macao, China 9.275
2nd Shek Wai Hung Hong Kong, China 8.40
3rd Li Tsun Kin Hong Kong, China 8.25

Men's Parallel Bars
Prize Name Place Score
1st Li Junhao Guangdong 8.75
1st Mo Zhi Guangdong 8.75
3rd Zhang Bin Macao, China 7.80

Men's Horizontal Bar
Prize Name Place Score
1st Zhang Bin Macao, China 8.40
2nd Yang Jinhui Guangdong 7.70
3rd Xu Wei Macao, China 7.40

Women's Vaulting Table
Prize Name Place Score
1st Wong Huying Hong Kong, China 8.70
2nd Fan Miu Hong Kong, China 8.50
3rd Mao Yungiu Guangzhou 8.425

Women's Uneven Bars
Prize Name Place Score
1st Lao Gianxin Guangzhou 7.25
2nd Mao Yungiu Guangzhou 6.65
3rd Yau Pushan Hong Kong, China 6.60

Women's Balance Beam
Prize Name Place Score
1st Wong Huying Hong Kong, China 8.55
2nd Chen Yanqing Guangdong 8.40
3rd Chen Senjie Guangdong 8.10

Women's Floor Exercise
Prize Name Place Score
1st Wong Hiuying Hong Kong, China 8.40
2nd Luo Gianxin Guangzhou 7.40
3rd Mo Qihong Guangzhou 7.30

The three days Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games test event of Gymnastics Invitation Competition was completed successfully yesterday. Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério said MEAGOC has proven another success in this second test event held, which is a great encouragement for the preparations of the Games. To ensure the success of the a unique edition of the Macau East Asian Games, MEAGOC will continue to commit in the preparations of other test events as well as in the routine operations in the future.

"MEAGOC along with the sports federation has organized around 200 staff and volunteers to participate in the organizing of this test event, including in the areas of Competition, venue and equipment operations, hospitality, liaison, protocol, information technology, media services, and medical service," Manuel Silvério remarked. "In the three days of competition, our personnel aimed for the success in hosting the East Asian Games. With this same goal, they have dedicated and coordinated in their tasks, and have smoothen the operations in hosting this competition."

A total of 78 athletes from five teams, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jianmen and Macao competed in this test event. The approximately 500,000 patacas budget for this test event covers the cost for transportation, accommodation, expertise, judge panels, athletes, catering and volunteers' subsidies.

To ensure that this test event will reach the standards during the Games, MEAGOC has strictly requested all departments follow the required procedure in testing of their tasks. In Competition, the six events for Men and four events for Women are organized according to the Gymnastics during the East Asian Games. In venues operation and access routes, it is not only the basic requirement to follow the Games standards, but also to prepare for the Inauguration Ceremony to be held in the coming 5 July. In equipment installation, MEAGOC staff learnt from experts to install and assisted in the setup of equipment recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation. Other aspects of personnel were also tested which are hospitality, protocol, information technology, media services and volunteers, which will be in these actual positions during the Games. This is also the first time MEAGOC carries out the actual procedure and arrangements of the awards-ceremony. The 4th East Asian Games Medical Committee have also organized a team in support to this event.

As the Macau Stadium renovation project will complete this month, the facility will appear with a new look to the community on the 3rd of August in its reopening ceremony. To celebrate this important moment, FCBarcelona Football Team and Shenzhen Jianlibao Football Team have been invited to perform a friendship match on that day.

In the press conference of the "reopening of the Macau Stadium" held yesterday in the Stadium, the chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério announced the overall arrangement of the ceremony. He also expressed that FCBarcelona Football Team, which was one of the most top football teams in the world, and Shenzhen Jianlibao Football Team, which was the champion of 2004 Chinese Football Super League, had been invited for a friendship match in 3rd of August. He said that the match would be one of the major test events before the 4th East Asian Games to test various aspects including security system, reception, selling tickets, information technology, language service, ceremonies, etc. At the same time, there will be coordination with the 4th East Asian Games Security Work Group and Medical Work Group for a quality transportation and medical service during that day.

The president of the Macau Football Association Vitor Cheung Lup Kwan said that as one of the important test events for the Games, the Association will do its utmost to contribute to the success of the match.

The representative Shenzhen Jianlibao FootballClub Yu Wenge gave thanks to the invitation and expressed that they would try their best in the match.

Then the speech from FCBarcelona was read by the Emcee that FCBarcelona felt happy to be able to support Macau in its preparations to host the 4th East Asian Games, which will represent Macau¡¦s arrival as a top destination for international events.

In the press conference, the Shenzhen Jianlibao Football Team player representatives Li Leilei and Yang Chen has presented the Team shirts as the souvenirs to Manuel Silvério and Vitor Cheung Lup Kwan.

The match ticket prices are MOP$200, MOP$300 and MOP$500, starting from the 2nd of July(Saturday), the tickets are on sale in Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, IPM Multisport Pavilion, Mong Ha Pavilion, Macau Stadium, Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Youth Centre.

The Macau Stadium covers an area of 35,585 m2, seating up to 16,260. The Macau Stadium is suitable for a number of sports and cultural events, from track and field to football, and concerts to Opening Ceremony. The Macao Stadium Indoor Pavilion is one of the affiliated sports venues of the Macao Stadium, with a total of 935 spectator seats, athletes changing rooms, referees changing rooms and competition working rooms etc. The total area of the competition field is 45m x 33m and a layer of special indoor sport-used wooden floor is being laid where different kinds of indoor sports competitions can be held, such as basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis and badminton etc.

The famous football teams FC Barcelona and Shenzhen Jianlibao were invited to a friendly match on the 3 August, to celebrate the reopening of the Macau Stadium. On the first day of tickets sales on 2 July, a total of 6,500 tickets were sold, with a total revenue of almost MOP 2.5 million. A match on international level since the Sino-Portuguese football match in 2002, local fans are already queuing in for the opening of the 5 tickets sales counter at dusk yesterday.

"Macao citizens have been very cooperative in discipline in all five sales counters. Of course, other than being all in locations which can avoid being affected by the weather, this is also dependent on the efforts of staffs from the Police Department and over 50 staffs from MEAGOC. In addition, I am glad to say ticket sales is very satisfactory on this first day." said Chairman of Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério. He pointed out that of the 6,500 tickets sold, and the total revenue until now is about MOP 2.5 million.

From the early morning on 2 July, local fans queued impatiently at the five ticket sales counter setup by MEAGOC to purchase tickets of the football match to be held, on the occasion of the Macau Stadium reopening on 3 August. At 10a.m., the official opening time of the counters, hundreds of citizens formed long queues outside the Mong Ha Pavilion and the Macau Stadium, some even arrived at 2 in the morning. Some citizens claimed they have great expectations on this match, and think it is worth to wait through the night for this rare opportunity of watching a spectacular match between international football teams. Outside other sales counters, located in the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, the IPM Multisport Pavilion and the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Youth Centre, were also queues of a few dozens of local fans at dusk.

The prices of the tickets are MOP$200, MOP$300 and MOP$500. Tickets are still available at the five tickets sales counters in Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, IPM Multisport Pavilion, Mong Ha Pavilion, Macau Stadium and Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Youth Centre, from 10:00 to 20:00.

Macau East Asian Games Dome, the largest pavilion in Macau, was officially unveiled by a grand evening show organized by MEAGOC on 5th of July.

Witnessed by Chief Executive Edmund Ho and other officiating guests, Catholic and Buddhist blessing ceremonies were hosted respectively by Bishop José Lai Hung Seng and Master Sek Kei Sau at 18:45 outside the venue. After the blessing ceremonies, officiating guests were invited to visit the brand new facility.

The Opening Ceremony then officially took place in the Arena, the main hall of the EAG Dome. After the officiating guests, VIPs, friends from the media and more than 7,000 spectators all gathered in the hall, Chief Executive Edmund Ho shot an arrow to light the torch tower and unveil the plague, symbolizing the official opening of the venue. After that, MEAGOC received a key from the coordinator of Office for Infrastructure Development António José Castanheira Lourenço. During the Games period, the EAG Dome will be the competition venue for gymnastics, weightlifting and dance sport events, as well as the place where the Closing Ceremony of the Games will take place.

In the grand evening show immediately kicked off afterwards, performers from 6 organizations staged a wonderful show for the grand opening. C-Plus and other local singers firstly showed off on the elaborate stage. As the highlights of the show, Hong Kong pop singers George Lam, Miriam Yeung and Leo Koo captivated the spectators with their popular songs. Other programs including live performance of the anthem of the Games "We Will Shine" by 200 students from Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary School together with 15 mascots; lion dance jointly performed by students from Escola Choi Nong Chi Tai and members from Associação Geral dos Operários de Macau and energetic dancing by students from Sheng Kung Hui Choi Kou School. There are 1,000 local performers participated in the Opening, the vivid atmostphere shown in their performance best demostrated the energetic spirit of the EAG Dome.

The opening ceremony was smoothly carried out only because of fully co-operation by more than ten departments. With the effective coordination by all departments, the ceremony could successfully fulfill the testing objective, expressed by Chairman of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério. On this commemorative day of the opening ceremony, a simple but solemn ceremony was hosted by Chairman of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério and CEO of CTM Phil Green, in which CTM officially announced the launching of EAG theme phone cards and Sony Ericsson special edition J300i.

Macau Dome Stadium
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Open Ceremony of Macau Dome
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Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério met Timothy T. T. Fok, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong (SF&OC) in a recent visit.

Following the visits to the National Olympic Committees of the People Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia, Manuel Silvério led a delegation in a visit to the SF&OC in Hong Kong. In the visit Manuel Silvério has been informed about the preparation of Hong Kong delegation to participate in the 4th East Asian Games, Fok said that Hong Kong is sending a sports delegation of over 200 participants to the Games in October. Hong Kong athletes will participate in 14 sports which excludes Taekwondo, Weightlifting and Tennis.
Due to the fact that Hong Kong is going to host the 5th East Asian Games in 2009, representatives from both SF&OC Hong Kong and the Macau Olympic Committee explored relevant issue. Both agreed that the 5th East Asian Games Planning Committee will organize a cultural event, the "Hong Kong Night," as a first promotional event of the Games. The representatives also discuss in organising a segment of performance during the 4th East Asian Games Closing Ceremony by the 5th East Asian Games Committee. The concept of the performance is the heritage of the East Asia Games and the Olympic Spirit from MEAGOC to Hong Kong 2009, 5th East Asian Games.

Manuel Silvério then visited the newly inaugurated SF&OC headquarters Olympic House and signed in the commemorative book. After that, Timothy T. T. Fok presented a souvenir to Manuel Silvério.

At the "Prize Presentation Ceremony of 2009 East Asian Games Emblem Design Competition" recently hosted in Hong Kong, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge welcomes the Macao Olympic Committee (MOC) to visit the IOC Headquarters in Switzerland.

Invited by the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, First Vice-Chairman of MOC Manuel Silvério attended the ceremony in which the emblem "Fireworks" is official released. In a meeting with Jacques Rogge after the ceremony, Manuel Silvério introduced the preparations for the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games to be held in October.

Manuel Silvério also described that the hosting of the Macau 2006, 1st Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees' Games as well as the Macau 2007, 2ndAsian Indoor Games, are "great motivation for the sports development in Macau." He further introduced MOC efforts in promoting local sports development and the results. During the meeting, Jacques Rogge encourages MOC to visit IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In view of the boosting ticket sales for the FC Barcelona - Shenzhen Jainlibao match in celebration of the Reopening of the Macau Stadium on 3 August, MEAGOC will reduce ticket sales counters to three at the Macau Stadium, the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion and the CTM Nam Van branch from tomorrow (13 July).

Since the launching of ticket sales on 2 July at six sales counters, fervent local fans rushed for the purchase of tickets. With limited availability of tickets, sales counters were reduced to three at the Macau Stadium, the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, and the CTM Nam Van branch (Rua. do Dr. Pedro Jośe Lobo Edf. Kam Loi, No.22).

Official opening hours of the counter in C.T.M Nam Van branch begins from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, whereas in the Macau Stadium and the Tap Seac Mulitsport Pavilion opening hours is from 10 am to 8 pm. A spectacular match not to be missed, football fans are suggested to grasp this opportunity and hasten to get your own ticket at the above locations.

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Located adjacent to the Legislative Council Building in Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre was officially inaugurated on 18 July. This brand new venue will host the competitions of Dragon Boat and Rowing during the 4th East Asian Games. After the Games, it will serve as a new training venue for athletes and also an ideal recreation area for the public.

Blessed by both Chinese and Western rituals, the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre was officially inaugurated on 18 July at 17:30. After the rituals, Chief Executive Edmond Ho Hau Wah officiated the plaque unveiling ceremony. Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério presented a commemorative booklet of Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre to President of Administration Council of IACM Lau Si Io. After which, Chief Executive officiated the eye-dotting ceremony.

"I feel so happy for the inauguration of the Centre. I believe that this brand new landmark provides a place not only for the 4th East Asian Games and other international events, but also for public leisure" said Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério.

To meet the needs of the Games, MEAGOC started in the end of last year the constructions on the lake and the shore. The competition area of the lake is equipped with 6 lanes each 500m in length and 13.5m in width, a starting platform, start tower and aligner's hut at the start. At the finish line there is photo-finish, and timing and scoring system. Facilities on the shore include spectator seats, a new public waterfront promenade, parking area, eye-dotting ceremony area and a new boatshed. The inauguration of the Centre is more than an ideal place for water sports and recreation for local citizens, it will also serve as a new training venue for athletes.

The Macau East Asian Organising Committee (MEAGOC) in cooperation with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Macau Tennis Association (ATM) will organize on the period between the 22nd and 24th of July, 2005 a Chair Umpires Level I training course. During this training course, Chen Shu, ITF nominated Referee for the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Tennis Competitions, will instruct and certify local Chair Umpires with the international certification necessary to officiate during the Macau East Asian Games.

The Macao 2nd Asian Indoor Games Organising Committee (MAIGOC) Board of Directors meeting was held on 19 July during which members approved the year 2005 budget and discussed arrangements for coming OCA meeting.

Presided by MAIGOC Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silvério, attendees include Company Secretary Bruno Nunes, Directors Eddie Laam Wah Ying, Hong Wai, Peter Ung Hoi Ian, Allen Lau Cho Un, Wallis O Lam, Isabel da Silva and Eric Chau Ka Lai. MEAGOC Board member Gisela Nunes, Directors Manuel Pinto and João Ribeiro also attended the meeting as observers.

The Board members discussed and approved the budgets of Macau 2007, 2nd Indoor Games and 1st Lusofonia Games of the year 2005, as well as conferred with the preparations and related materials needed for the future several meetings. These include the OCA Coordination Meeting of 1st & 2nd Asian Indoor Games to be held in Thailand of Bangkok on 28 July; the OCA Secretary General Meeting, OCA Standing Committees' Meeting, 44th OCA Executive Board Meeting and 24th OCA General Assembly to be held in Guangzhou of China from 7 to 9 September. In addition, approved by the OCA, the large scale promotions of the 4th East Asian Games and 2nd Indoor Games can be held during the OCA General Assembly. For this purpose, a working group organized by 3 people will figure out a plan for the large scale promotions and to extend the information about the preparations for the above Games to visitors from Asia.

"Since the establishment of MAIGOC, the preparations of the three sizeable multisport games (4th East Asian Games, 1st Lusofonia Games and 2nd Indoor Games) have started on the basis of the idea of further development and maximization of the various resources in Macau. I believe that the details of the 2nd Indoor Games work out at a much larger scale after the 4th East Asian Games in the third or fourth quarters this year" said Manuel Silvério.

The Signing Ceremony of Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Ltd. joining the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) Sponsorship Programme was hosted on 20 July.

Witnessed by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério and General Manager of Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Ltd. Joanthan Lam signed the agreement. Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Ltd. will install in different competition venues portable coolers, parasol sets with tables and chair and vending machines during the Games, and will produce one million promotional cans.

"MEAGOC is very honourable that the we will have the Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Limited joining us to provide quality services for VIP, media, athletes and all Macau citizens before and during the Games. In addition, they will be strengthening the East Asian Games promotion with special-edition cans, that will be in sales in the local market, said Manuel Pinto, Director of Commercial and Marketing.

"MEAGOC is very committed to establish strong bonds and good relationships with the business community and we work closely with our collaborators, to maximize efforts in the protection of our mutual interests. By offering the highest quality marketing services and support to our sponsors, we are confident that the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games will be successful with the best quality services provided by our collaborators.

Manuel Pinto continued "therefore, we have the greatest pleasure to welcome Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Limited to our Sponsorship Program. We deeply appreciate the support from our sponsors, both for the 4th East Asian Games, and at the same time, for Macau."

General Manager of Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Ltd. Joanthan Lam said "The Games not only create an opportunity for sport and cultural exchange among the regions, but also, it serves as a catalyst to foster local participation in sports through the unique experience of this game.

To celebrate this event, Coca-Cola will launch a series of promotional cans with the 4th East Asian Games' elements. By the time of the event, over a million of promotion cans will be circulating in town along with massive outdoor promotional campaign for the East Asian Games, which will raise local excitements," he added.

Guests who also attended the ceremony include: Region Manager of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau of Coca-Cola China Limited Robert Bing, President of East Asian Games Eddie Laam Wah Ying, Chairman of Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. Harris Li, delegate of Government in MEAGOC Hong Wai, members of 2005 Macao EAG Consultative Council Chan Chak Mo, Pau Ma Chong and Frederico Nolasco da Silva.

The Signing Ceremony of CEM joining the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) Sponsorship Programme was held on 21 July (yesterday) at the Headquarters of MEAGOC.

Witnessed by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério signed the agreement with CEM Chief Executive Officer José Vaz Marcelino and Executive Director Alvaro Jorge Guerreiro de Sousa.

Through the agreement, CEM will provide free electricity for the Opening Ceremony of the Games and also the billboard at CEM Dispatch Centre to promote the 4th East Asian Games. During the Games, CEM will provide free technical support in electricity provision services.

Since the Inauguration of the Countdown Clock at the Lotus Square on 29 October last year, the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) has strengthened the preparations for the 4th East Asian Games. On the 100th day to the Games, MEAGOC presented pins to 15 representatives and 31 volunteers in gratitude to their contribution for the Games.

To encourage these 46 outstanding individuals, MEAGOC hosted the "Presentation Ceremony of Pin in Commemoration of 100 Days to the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games", in which Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On presented the commemoration pins.

Individuals receiving the pin include: members of Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Medical Service Work Group Wong Wai Lap, Sammy S.C. Lui, Coordinator of Security Task Force Pun Su Peng, members of the Force Chan Veng Hei, Iu Chong Hin, Chao Ka Cheong, members of Infrastructure Work Group Chan Wai Hong, Dombelo Costa, Diamantino Augusto Torrado, member of Television Broadcasting Working Commission Hong Wai, members of 2005 Macao EAG Consultative Council Eddie Laam Wah Ying, Ma Iao Hang, Pau Ma Chong, Van Kuan Lok and Chan Chak Mo.

And for the 31 volunteers who took an active role in the different areas in the past and preformed their outstanding experience. Through the pin presentation on the 100th day to the Games, they will work along with MEAGOC before and during the Games. Their main working areas are in Liaison, Protocol, Media, Competition, Information and Technology, Steward and Security. Among them, Lou Pui Fan, 65 year-old, the oldest one, and Lo Ka Ho, 18 year-old, the youngest one, were presented with the pin in the ceremony.

The Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee(MEAGOC) announced yesterday (25 July) the progress and details arrangements in security, transportation and ticketing for the "Reopening of the Macau Stadium."

Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silvério commenced the conference by introducing the details of the ritual ceremony on the day of the reopening.
"At this moment, we have entered the last phase of preparations, which we hope to complete in the next week. Ticket sales have been boosting, and until now we have sold out 90 percent of the tickets. "
As a match of international level which attracts local and neighboring cities attentions, Manuel Silvério announced the match has draw together 12 companies in the sponsorship program.
Director of Communications of CTM Fernanda Madeira, one of the main sponsors of the match stresses the importance of the cooperation between MEAGOC and CTM. "This cooperation is yet another proof of the support of our company to the 4th East Asian Games. In the future, we will host a series of promotional activities for the East Asian Games as we did in the past."
Representative of another main sponsor of the match, Venetian Macau Limited Chief Operating Officer Frank McFaddan believes that the FC Barcelona versus Shengzhen Jianlibao match will "mark another important date in the history of Macau, which no matters what the results are, the victory belongs to the Macau people."
The match will be televised by international broadcasters such as CCTV, TDM, TVB Pearl and Jade, SuperSun, Guangdong TV Sports Channel and the Spanish TV station TV Catalunya.

To facilitate fans arriving for the spectacular match in the Macau Stadium, Chief of Traffic Management Division of the Traffic Department Lo Seng Chi and Committee member of the China-Macau Autosports Club Lai Chi Kit introduced the traffic arrangements on the night of the match.
"Traffic control measures will be taken on the roads near the Macau Stadium, and the two local bus companies will increase the frequency of the related routes to the Stadium. Also, there will be parking for tourist buses, taxis and motorcycles nearby, which altogether we will provide approximately 1,000 carparks."
However, MEAGOC and the co-organisers also recommend citizens to utilize public means of transport to reduce traffic pressure in the district.
Superintendent Chao Vai Keong and Commissioner Lam Man Wai of the Police Force in Public Security ensured the press that strong security systems are installed at the Stadium, including the metal detectors at all 26 entrances. Spectators are not allowed to bring in any forms of weapon, firecrackers, fireworks, plastic bottles, tin cans and similar objects, in order to guarantee a safe and successful match.
The Coordinator of the 4th East Asian Games Medical Service Work Group Dr. Chan Wai Sin said "Within and outside the venue during the night of the match, there will be altogether 6 medical stations and 35 people in charge. The fire department will also send two fire engines."
To conclude, Director of MEAGOC Allen Lau and Director for Commercial and Marketing Manuel Pinto indicated spectators to enter the Macau Stadium according to their class of tickets which are not yet marked. After the tickets are verified, the staff will assign a seat for each ticket with a label."

Other guests also attending the press conference today include: Acting Director of the Sports Development Board Alex Vong, Principal Chief of the Fire Department Iu Chong Hin and Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of Macau Football Association Sin Chi Yiu.

After the rest day on July 26, the play-off round of the Championship is played in Tap Seac Multisport Pavilionon on July 27 with 12 teams. All matches will be held in the Tap Seac from July 27 to the last day of the Championship.

MEAGOC in cooperation with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Macau Tennis Association (ATM) organized a Tennis Chair Umpires training course in the period between the 22nd and the 24th of July, 2005.

Mr. Chen Shu, ITF nominated Referee for the Macau East Asian Games Tennis Competitions lectured the course and stated to all present that this Level I certification was a very important step in the development of Tennis and that it was the first step for Macau to be able to organize large scale Tennis Events. The 18 ATM Chair Umpires that attended this weekend¡¦s training course were all examined and only 13 of them received from ITF the Level I certificate.

ITF White Badges Chair Umpires Charles Lau and Molly Kam also attended and contributed to the success of this course.

New Deputy Editor-in-Chief of CCTV Sports Centre Li Ting led a 19-person delegation to Macau for a 4-day site inspection. During its visit, the delegation had productive meetings with MEAGOC. Topics covered in the meetings were competition venues and operational and technical aspects of TV broadcasting.

On 25 July, the delegation visited venues in 3 competition zones, namely Macau East Asian Games Dome, Macau Stadium, Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre, IPM Multisport Pavilion and Press and Information Centre to gain more information about the operation of venues, as well as the specific setup and plan for TV signal production and transmission. During his meeting with the management of MEAGOC, Li Ting commended MEAGOC¡¦s "one cadre three brands" operation which effectively maximizes the utilization of resources.

Li Ting then met with MEAGOC¡¦s Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silvério and expressed his appreciation to the international setup at all the venues for the Games. He further assured MEAGOC that CCTV would assign the team which worked on 2004 Athens Olympic Games to take charge of the TV broadcasting of the Macau 4th East Asian Games. Manuel Silvério extended his gratitude for the continuous support and coordination of CCTV and presented a souvenir to Li Ting on behalf of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On.

Accompanied by MEAGOC¡¦s representatives, members of signal production and transmission team in the CCTV delegation went to Macau International Shooting Range and Tennis Academy and Bowling Centre to observe the configuration of TV signals in the venues. Yesterday (26 July), a meeting was held between MEAGOC and CCTV to discuss the policy of signal production and specific work arrangements during the Macau 4th East Asian Games.

Representatives from another member of the East Asian Games Host Broadcaster Teledifusao de Macau (TDM) and from local satellite provider Companhia Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM) also participated in the meeting. In addition, MEAGOC and CCTV also negotiated about the specific arrangements for the broadcasting of the friendly football match between FC Barcelona and Shenzhen Jianlibao in celebration of the "Reopening of Macau Stadium" on 3 August 2005. Both parties share a common aspiration of presenting this event to more spectators via TV broadcasting.

Members of the CCTV delegation included: Deputy Editor-in-Chief of CCTV Sports Centre Li Ting, Vice-Director of CCTV Sports Centre Zhou Jing, Head of Sports News Department Zhang Xing and personnel responsible for general control, post-production, technical broadcasting and communications. Following up this meeting, MEAGOC planned to have a working conference with CCTV in Macau to decide on the TV broadcasting plan and coordination arrangements for the 4th East Asian Games.

On 28 July at the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) headquarters located at Seoul Olympic Park, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) Manuel Silvério visited the new KOC president Kim Jung Kil, and Secretary-General Dr. Kim Sang Woo. Both parties exchanged their opinions on the arrangement of KOC delegation to the 4th East Asian Games. The Korean Olympic Committee is the fifth NOC Manuel Silvério visited after its counterparts of China, Mongolia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Hong Kong, China.

In his presentation, Manuel Silvério introduced the preparations in all aspects of the Games and appreciated the active participations of NOCs in the group events which entry had already closed a few days ago.

"MEAGOC is at our best in welcoming the KOC sport delegations, as well as from others NOC," said Manuel Silvério, who also suggested KOC to consider charter flight to Macau in order to ease athletes' weariness by the journey. In this aspect, MEAGOC is pleased to provide any necessary assistance.

President Kim Jung Kil and Secretary-General Kim Sang Woo enquired about the arrangement on competition, accommodation, security, entry and the arrival of their cultural performance group.

"KOC would send a big sport delegation of 700 members, including top athletes of Korea, to compete in the events of the 4th East Asian Games. In addition, we are considering joining the women dragon boat event. We will confirm KOC Chef-de-Mission next week, who will attend the Chef-de-mission meeting in Macau in the end of August. The charter flight is a good idea and I hope MEAGOC will provide us with further details."

Kim Jung Kil also mentioned that KOC new cabinet is working hard to bid for the hosting of the Asian Games, the IAAF World Championships and the Winter Olympic Games.

After his trip in Korea, Manuel Silvério flew to Japan immediately to visit the president of Japanese Olympic Committee on 29 July.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee Manuel Silvério visited the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) at its headquarters of Tokyo on 29 July immediately following his visit to the Korean Olympic Committee. JOC is the sixth NOC meeting Manuel Silvério after its counterparts of China, Mongolia, Democratic People¡¦s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea), Hong Kong China and South Korea.

President of JOC and Chairman of Asian Games Coordination Committee of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Tsunekatsu Takeda, as well as JOC Head of International Affairs Department Yasuhiro Nakamori received Manuel Silvério warmly. Both parties discussed on the arrangements for the JOC sport delegation in the 4th East Asian Games.

Manuel Silvério introduced the various aspects in preparation for the Games, in particular, the inauguration of the international standard football field in Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) in September. He stressed that the MUST football field would provide "another ideal training ground for football teams to ensure their utmost performances."

In the meeting, Tsunekatsu Takeda enquired about the entry, competition, hospitality and cultural events.

"JOC would coordinate all local Japanese sport federations to organize a large sport delegation of top athletes to participate in 4th East Asian Games. However, JOC would not send athletes to compete in the women dragon boat event in this upcoming East Asian Games."

Tsunekatsu Takeda also announced that a traditional performance group will participate in the Opening and the Closing Ceremonies. For the time being, China, Japan, South Korea and North Korea have confirmed their participations in all the group events of the Games, except that DPR Korea would excuse itself from the dragon boat.

In order to show gratitude to the spectators, the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee will hold a lucky draw during the "Reopening Ceremony of the Macau Stadium" ¡V Shengzhen Jian Li Bao vs FC Barcelona football match. The lucky winner will be awarded with an excellent spectator spot at the Spanish Premier League in Spain.

Spectators are advised to keep their ticket for a lucky draw which they may win two tickets of any chosen match in the Spanish Premier League, given out by Barcelona Football Club. The lucky winner will also receive from MEAGOC two return flight tickets to Spain, to watch the match.

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Head coaches and players of both teams met the media at the press conference for the "Reopening of the Macau Stadium" ¡V Shenzhen Jian Li Bao Vs FC Barcelona football match was held on 1 August at the Sands Macau.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério commenced the conference by highlighting the significance of this test event of the East Asian Games, "this will be a test event for various aspects such as security, transportation, logistics, public relations, protocol, catering and television broadcasting. By then, ten channels will be broadcasting the match live on television, with coverage in 10 countries and regions, and reaching a total of 325 million households. At this moment, 200 journalists have been accredited.
This friendly match will help to promote the international recognition of Macau, and let the world know that this is an ideal place to host important and large scale events. It will be a spectacle, and an eye-feeding occasion for local fans," said Manuel Silvério, who also wished the teams luck.
FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta Estruch and Head Coach Frank Rijkaard expressed delight in coming to Macau to celebrate the reopening of the Macau Stadium. "We are honoured to be organising the match along with MEAGOC. Macau is an important place in Asia, especially after the handover. The FC Barcelona has excellent players, who care a lot of the relationship with their fans. Through the Asian Tour, we hope to enhance people¡¦s understanding on the sport of Football."
Shenzhen Jian Li Bao said they will give their best shots in the match. The two teams also answered the press regarding questions on such as preparations and team¡¦s combination for the match.
Lastly, the two teams exchanged souvenirs, followed by the presentation of a crystal football by Venetian Macau Limited Chief Operating Officer Frank McFadden to each of the teams.
Shenzhen Jian Li Bao will be playing against FC Barcelona at the Macau Stadium at 8p.m. on 3 August. Worldwide broadcasters including CCTV, TDM, TVB-Pearl, Hong Kong SuperSun, Guangdong TV Sports Channel and TV Catalunya of Spain will be transmitting the match live.

Leaded by Director Wang Hui, a delegation from the Information Office of Beijing Municipality visited Macau in early August to discuss with the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC) on co-operations in promoting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games during the 4th East Asian Games in Macau. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On assured that the Macau SAR Government fully supports the promotional work of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Macau in a meeting with the delegation yesterday (4 August)
The delegation from the Information Office of Beijing Municipality has visited Macau East Asian Games Dome and various other venues on 2 August. On 3 August MEAGOC held detailed discussions on the arrangements and the promotion of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Macau.
Manuel Silvério, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee, (MEAGOC), has pointed out that the meeting went smoothly and has laid a framework for the cooperation.
Head of Delegation and Director of the Information Office of Beijing Municipality, as well as Director of Beijing Olympic Media Centre Wang Hui expressed gratitude to MEAGOC for the hospitality and arrangements, and further remarked "The future promotional activities for the Beijing Olympics will be of high standards, especially those held between the 4th East Asian Games. In promoting the Beijing Olympics in Macau, Macau and Beijing are encountering a win-win situation."
Delegates from the Information Office of Beijing Municipality include: Director-General of the Committee of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Affairs of the CPPCC Beijing Committee Zhou Yanyun, Vice-Director of Grand Events Office of Beijing Municipality Liu Lu, Deputy Division Chief of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympaid Zhang Chenggang and Information Office of Beijing Municipality official Shen Yalin.
MEAGOC has specially invited the delegation to the "Reopening Ceremony of the Macau Staduim" to watch the Shenzhen Jian Li Bao vs. FC Barcelona friendly match on 3 August.

Ronaldinho in the match
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The Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) co-operated with the Macau Hockey Association in the organisation of the Macau International Hockey Tournament 2005 which will be held between 6 August and 14 August at the Macau Hockey Centre. The tournament will utilize the venues and facilities for the East Asian Games Hockey Competition. A total of 147 staff, and 114 volunteers participated in this simulated competition organisation of the East Asian Games in this tournament. On the other hand, they have also tested the various aspects including venue, facilities, medical, hospitality, protocol, media, information technology and also accreditation.

Since July, as MEAGOC enters the final countdown phase for the 4th East Asian Games, several test events were held. These include dragon boat, rowing, diving, the football match for the Reopening of the Macau Stadium, and the 2005 9th FIVB Girls'U18 World Volleyball Championship. The test events serve as continuous tests for the coordination and organising abilities of MEAGOC.

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With 300 spectator seats, 24 bowling lanes, a restaurant and 3 squash courts, the Bowling Centre is located approximately 6 km away from the centre of Macau.

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With a centre court surrounded by 880 spectator seats, 8 tennis courts and a supporting technology centre, the Tennis Academy is located approximately 6 km away from the centre of Macau.

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In preparations for the Macau 4th East Asian Games and Weightlifting Demonstration Test Event, the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC) will organize a Weightlifting Competition Officials Training Course between 13-14 August 2005.

The main objective of this training course to be lectured by Chinese Weightlifting Association expert Wong Meng Keong, is to provide participants with detailed guidelines on job responsibilities during the Macau 4th East Asian Games Weightlifting Competition.

As part of the preparatory works of the Macau 4th East Asian Games Shooting and the relative test event on 21-23 August, the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC) will organize a training course for Shooting Officials on 15th ,19th & 20th of August 2005.

The course to be lectured by Chinese Shooting Association expert Wang Jiancai, will provide participants with detailed guidelines on the different jobs responsibilities during the Shooting Competitions of 4th East Asian Games and also the relevant test event through both theoretical and practical approaches.

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Sales of "Tickets for the 4th East Asian Games" is officially launched on 18 August at 9:00 a.m. Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério predicted that ticket sale will be satisfactory with the strong efforts in promotion of the East Asian Games tickets in Macau and also overseas.

In his speech at the press conference, Manuel Silvério said that the experience of the "Reopening Ceremony of the Macau Stadium" has led to the decision that tickets of the Opening and the Closing Ceremony must be marked by number. These tickets can be directly purchased at MEAGOC's Headquarters or through the official website, which procedures are very simple.

Tickets for the Opening and Closing Ceremony can only be reserved, while for the 17 sports they could are available for sales at the MEAGOC's Headquarters, by fax, or e-mail. Ticket price are as follows: Opening Ceremony MOP 300-1300, Closing Ceremony MOP300-700, and for the 17 sports MOP40-250.

As with seating, 15,817 seats are available in the Opening Ceremony, and 6,808 seats in the Closing Ceremony. Spectators are required to sit according to their marked number. For the 17 sport which tickets are not marked, there are a total of 368,930 tickets available for sales. The total number of tickets for sales is 391,555.

To celebrate the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games, MEAGOC and BMW Concessionaires (Macau) Ltd. will co-organise the "Get in with a ticket, drive out in a BMW"lucky draw. The winner of a BMW 3 Series model offered by BMW Concessionaires (Macau) Ltd. will announced on the 6 November at the Closing Ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games after the drawing by a computer. The winner is liable to pay for any tax involved.

Since the launching of the East Asian Games Volunteer Program on 13 June 2003, MEAGOC has received enthusiastic participation and support from the local community. Until now, various training courses and test events in the different areas were held in preparation for the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games. At this phase, MEAGOC is organizing specific courses for volunteers, for better understanding and maneuvering of their tasks during the games period. In order to launch this phase of work, the deadline for volunteer application will be on 31 August 2005. Therefore, for any interest to join us, applicants can kindly obtain the application forms in all sports venues, or simply download the forms at the MEAGOC website.(www.east-asian-games2005.com.en) or return to any of the sports venues; moreover, you can also return by fax: 825562 or else by mailing to the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Youth Centre situated in the AV. Coronel Mesquita No.14, San Van Chong Taipa(Caesar Fortuna) CV1, CV2, CV3, Taipa.

The Macau Olympic Committee held the Coordination Meeting of Macao Sports Delegation for Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games at CAT (Tourism Activities Centre) on 15 August. Officials of Macao Sports Delegation discussed various issues with representatives from 16 local sports associations. Meanwhile, in support of the sports delegation work, the Macau Olympic Committee has already installed a Secretariat to in coordination of the work of the 16 associations during the Games.

Presided over the meeting by Chef-de-Mission of Macao Sports Delegation Ma Iao Hang, attendees to the meeting included Vice Chefs-de Mission Frederco Nolasco da Silva and António Fernandes, President of Macau Olympic Committee Eddie Laam Wah Ying, 1st Vice President of Committee Manuel Silvério, member of Delegation Pau Ma Chong, Director of Competition & Macao Peninsula Venues of MEAGOC Wallis O Lam and representative of MOC Secretariat Linda, Chiu Fong Leng.

Except for Soft Tennis which Macao will not be participating in the East Asian Games, representatives from the other 16 sports associations attended the Coordination Meeting.

"This is the first time Macao hosted the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games, which is a significant event for the local sports community, and even for Macao as a whole. In today¡¦s meeting, our purpose is to prepare well for the Games through the coordination of local associations and the Committee" said Ma Iao Hang in his speech before the meeting.

"I believe that with the advantage as the hosting city, and through the tight cooperation and dedication from all, Macao athletes will achieve their best ever performances in the history of the East Asian Games. They will fascinate the local sports community and bring honour to Macao" added Ma Iao Hang.

"As the hosting city, I hope all local communities will support the sports community to be actively involved in the Games. I also hope that the various associations can coordinate with MOC to submit the technical officials¡¦ lists of delegations before August 20 and the completed delegation members¡¦ lists before September 20." said Eddie Laam Wah Ying.

"When making entry, the associations are expected to provide the athletes' accomplishment records for athletes' information acquisition. Meanwhile, the inaugurations of the all venues will facilitate the training of the associations," said Manuel Silvério.

During the meeting, representatives of the associations introduced the progresses in the training for participating athletes. Others issues which were discussed are:
1. Entry to the 4th East Asian Games including Entry by Number Forms, Identity and Accreditation Application Forms & Family Lists, Medical Forms, and Entry by Name Forms.
2. Delegation Officials for the Games
3. Access Area Codes and Access Privileges of AD Card Holders for the Games
4. Accommodation and Transportation Arrangement for Macao Sports Delegation
5. Preparatory Items for joining the Games, including Macao Sports Delegation Booklets, Uniform and Sportswear for Macao Sports Delegation, Macao SAR Flag Hand-over Ceremony by Chief Executive, Macao Sports Delegation's Flag Raising Ceremony and Preparations for joining the 4th East Asian Games Opening Ceremony.

The Macau East Asian Games Dome was recently inaugurated in grand fashion, witnessed by more than 7,000 VIPs, media and spectators. Macau’s largest pavilion is located in the COTAI zone between Taipa and Coloane and boasts of 4 independent sections: Arena (7,000 seats), Theatre (2,000 seats), Theatre (2,000 seats), Exhibition Area (2,800 sq.m.) and the Macau International Convention Center (3,000 sq.m) The Dome covers an area approximately 140,000 square meters and has total floor area of 54,000 square meters. Its architecture is made up of translucent material that provides an eye-catching giant shining "silver egg" appearance from afar.

The grand evening show, organized by the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC), was participated in by more than 1,000 local performers. The Dome’s inauguration is in preparation for the forthcoming Macau 4th East Asian Games scheduled for October 29-November 6, 2005. During the Games, the EAG Dome will be the venue for gymnastics, weightlifting and dance sport events, as well as the locale for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the quadrennial sports event.

More information on the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC), was participated in by more than 1,000 local performers. The Dome’s inauguration is in preparation for the forthcoming Macau 4th East Asian Games scheduled for October 29-November 6, 2005. During the Games, the EAG Dome will be the venue for gymnastics, weightlifting and dance sport events, as well as the locale for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the quadrennial sports event.

More information on the Macau 4th East Asian Games may be obtained from the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) through telephones 8122595 and 8130947 or through the official website of the Games at www.east-asiangames2005.com.

Going to the 2005 East Asian Games in October? You can now bring along your Palm Treo 650 smartphone.

That's because Palm announced this week that it has tested and certified its multi-function handheld with CTM, one of the largest telecom service providers in the host city of Macau. CTM runs a GSM/GPRS network there.

Ticket sales for the 2005 East Asian Games went on sale today. Some 15,817 seats are available in the Opening Ceremony, and 6,808 seats in the Closing Ceremony.

Athletes participate in several events like swimming, basketball, bowling, boxing, football, gymnastics, handball, judo, soft tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu (martial arts).

Located in the South China sea on three connected islands, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East and supports a pretty well-to-do economy. Macau used to be known for its textile industry but in 2002, the region saw a surge in visitors from China and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70 percent of government revenue.

The three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory, which will boost GDP growth.

Posted by Michael Singer

Ticket sales of the 4th East Asian Games started in Macao on Thursday, 72 days prior to the commencement of the sports event.
The tickets are priced from 300 to 1,300 patacas (37.5 to US$162.5) for the opening ceremony and between 300 and 700 patacas (37.5 to US$87.5) for the closing ceremony.
Tickets for the Game's 17 events priced between 40 to 250 patacas (five to US$31.25).
A total of 15,817 seats will be available for the opening ceremony and 6,808 for the closing ceremony, the organizers told a press conference on Wednesday.
The tickets for the 17 events will not be assigned to specific seats, said the organizers.
The tickets cover security features and bar codes for statistical purposes.
China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macau, the United States Pacific Island of Guam, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia will contest in the Games scheduled for October.

Macao International Shooting Range, the shooting competition venue for the fourth East Asian Games, opened in Macao on Sunday.

Manuel Silverio, head of the organizing committee of the Games, told a press conference that the Range, sized 52,355 square meters, is to help fulfill Macao's commitment to host the shooting competition "at the international level."

He said four teams representing China, Macao, Hong Kong and Singapore are to contest in a friendly Tuesday to test the new venue.

Wang Yifu, coach in chief of the Chinese national team, attended the press conference.

The former Olympic gold-medallist wished the shooting event of the East Asian Games success at the venue.

China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macao, the United States Pacific Island of Guam, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia will contest in the Games scheduled for October.

The Games shooting event will cover 15 gold medals.

Source: Xinhua

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A shooting friendly was held in Macao on Monday to test Macao International Shooting Range, the shooting competition venue for the approaching fourth East Asian Games.

Four teams representing China, and Singapore, Macao SAR (Special Administrative Region) and Hong Kong SAR contested in the three competition events covering 10m Air Pistol, 25m Standard Pistol and 50m Prone.

The Chinese side, led by Wang Yifu, head coach of the Chinese national team, grasped all the three gold medals of the non-high level friendly.

The organizers said they successfully tested the venue and logistics for the shooting competition of the East Asian Games.

China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macao, the United States Pacific Island of Guam, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia will contest in the Games scheduled for October.

The Games shooting event will cover 15 gold medals.

Source: Xinhua

Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) holds the Athletics Test Event at the Macau Stadium on 20-21 August. On the first day, athletes dedicated themselves in competing for the day's 8 gold medals. The second day of Athletics Test Event continues 21 August at the Macau Stadium at 9:00-16:10, which will establish 14 gold medals. Entry to all matches is free.

Affected by the rainy weather, the first day of competition was arranged to hold in the afternoon. Eight gold medals were awarded in events including Women High Jump Final, Women Shot Put Final, Men 800m Round 1, Women 5000m Final, Men Hurdles Final, Men 5000m Final, Women Triple Jump Final, Men and Women 100m Finals.

Nine teams have assigned 128 Athletes to participate in 23 events for both Men and Women. The participating teams are China, São Tomé e Príncipe, Mozambique, Timor-Leste, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Hong Kong, China and Macau, China.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério, Chairman of the Assembly of Members of Macau China Shooting Association Ma Iao Shun, Head Coach of the National Shooting Team of China Wang Yifu, and Director of COTAI International Sport Complex of MEAGOC Gisela Nunes met the media at the press conference for the "Inauguration of the Macau International Shooting Range" along with the four participating teams. The press conference was held at Macau International Shooting Range Administration Center at 4:00p.m. on 21 August.

The Macau International Shooting Range will be officially inaugurated on 23 August, and the relevant test event ¡V Shooting Invitation Competition will be held on 22 August. Participating teams include Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and China, which will be led by Head coach Olympics shooting gold medalist Wang Yifu.

Manuel Silvério expressed in his speech, "As Macao's first shooting range of international standards, the Macau International Shooting Range will not only serve the purpose of organizing the Macau 4th East Asian Games, but will provide Macau with the best facilities to organise future international level shooting competitions. At this test event, more than 220 volunteers will be involved in numerous areas such as competition, communication, ceremonies, stewarding, medical services, media, information technology and hospitality.

Ma Iao Shon also believed that the inauguration of the Macau International Shooting Range will stimulate the development of Shooting in Macau.

"The inauguration of the Macau International Shooting Range and this invitation competition will further enhance the cultural and sport exchange between China, Macau SAR and all participating countries in the 4th East Asian Games," Wang Yifu.

The Athletics test event organized by the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) at the Macau Stadium was completed successfully on 21 August. A total of 22 gold medals were awarded in the two-day test events. The Hong Kong, China team has won 14 Gold Medals, the most of all teams in this test event.
Athletics being one of the attractive sports in the 4th East Asian Games, MEAGOC has tested the foundation of the sport to be held 68 days later through this test event, these including soft wares, hard wares facilities, organization, collaboration between staffs, and the volunteer program. With the dedicated efforts and support of the Macau Athletics Association, Fire Services Bureau, Medical Working Group and Doping Control Working Group, the Athletics test event has achieved enormous success.

The 14 Gold Medals awarded yesterday include: Women's Long Jump, Men's High Jump, Men's 3000m steeplechase, Women's Discus Throw, Men and Women's 200m, Men's Pole Vault, Women's 100m, Men's 110 Hurdles, Men and Women's 800m, Men's Javelin Throw, Men and Women's 4 x 100m Relay finals.

During the two-day test event, Hong Kong, China was ranked first with 14 medals in total (5 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze), Shenzhen came second in rank with 5 Gold, 4 Silver and 4, and Zhongshan came third with 2 Gold, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze. Macao, China was ranked sixth with 2 Silver and 4 Bronze.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério paid a visit to the headquarters of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee in Taipei in the afternoon of 19 August. During the visit, the Chairman met the representatives of the Olympic Committee which include the president, Thomas Ta-Chou Huang and the Secretary-General, Steven S.K. Chen. Both parties exchanged opinions on the matters related to the participation of Chinese Taipei sport delegation in the 4th East Asian Games. The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee is the seventh NOC that Manuel Silvério has paid visit to after its counterparts of China, Mongolia, DPR Korea, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan.

The meeting was held in a friendly and frank atmosphere where Thomas Huang released that the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee would send a delegation of 340 to compete in all the 17 sports of the Games other than hockey. He was pleased that a close relationship was established between MEAGOC and the Olympic Committee. Although some unexpected matters have occurred in the progress of Macau's organizing the 4th East Asian Games, the visits that Manuel Silvério has paid to the participating NOCs illustrate the sincerity of the host of the Games. He believed that the upcoming 4th East Asian Games would certainly come to a great success. Thomas Huang said he had never been in Macau and was eager to have an opportunity to visit the city. He continued to explain that since the hockey team of Taipei failed to squeeze into the top three of the invitational match which was previously held in Macau, according to the prior agreement, the team could not participate in the 4th East Asian Games.

In the meeting, Manuel Silvério introduced in details the progress of the hardware constructions of the 4th East Asian Games and existing venue facilities, competition events and tests events being held for the time being. The Chairman said the large number of entry, which hits the record in terms of the numbers of participating athletes and sport delegations, showed the enthusiasm of the participating organizations. MEAGOC would properly handle the Chinese Taipei's participation according to the previous practice and spare no effort to bring the Games to an utmost success. In that occasion, Manuel Silvério encouraged the Olympic Committee to send a cultural performance team to join the cultural activity during the Games Period. While agreeing that the abundant Olympic culture was fading away, Thomas Huang said in response they would send a cultural team to Macau. According to him, the sport delegation of Chinese Taipei would be divided into three groups and go to Macau respectively by charter flight starting from 27 October.

In the meeting, both parties also discussed matters related to entry, competition, hospitality, security inspection, media, contacts after arrivals, flag-raising ceremony, ticket selling agent in Taipei and organizing the Taipei audience to Macau. According to Thomas Huang, the local sport associations in Taipei would send top athletes including two gold medalists in the Athens Olympic Games to join the 4th East Asian Games in Macau. He added 3 delegates would attend the Chef-de-mission meeting which was scheduled to hold in Macau on 27 this month.

In the following day, Manuel Silvério made initial contacts with some local sponsors in Taiwan who were interested in the sponsorship program of the Games.

--Competition Performance held today at the Macau International Shooting Range Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of the Macau International Shooting Range, neighboring the Macau East Asian Games Dome at the COTAI International Sports Complex, was held at 11a.m. today (August 23) in the final shooting range. The athletes, who already participated in the Shooting Invitation Competition yesterday, will join the exhibition game today in demonstration of the high level of shooting technology. All three events of Macau 4th East Asian Games Test Event Shooting Invitation Competition had finished yesterday (August 22).

The finals of 25m Standard Pistol Men kicked off the competition yesterday (22August) in which local athlete Leong Chi Kin participated. The two events of 10m Air Pistol and 50m Rifle Prone Men entered into play-off and final rounds which the winner has the highest scores in total of the two rounds. China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau has sent athletes to participate in this Shooting Invitation Competition, of which the Chinese team is led by Olympic gold medalist Wang Yi Fu as head coach. The shooting competitions yesterday went into smooth operation and tested the supporting facilities for the shooting competition in preparation for the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games.
Winners of the three events will be awarded during the International Shooting Range opening ceremony today and welcome citizens to participate in the ceremony.

Neighboring the Macau East Asian Games Dome at the COTAI International Sports Complex, the Macau International Shooting Range was officially inaugurated on 23 August. The completion of this sport facility will ensure the success of holding the shooting events during the 4th East Asian Games.

Guests who attended the ceremony include: Chief Executive of Macau SAR Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Deputy Commissioner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC in Macau Huang Songfu, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On, Director of Department of Publicity and Culture of Liaison Office of the Central People¡¦s Government in the Macau SAR Kong Fanzhuang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee Manuel Silvério, Coordinator of East Asian Games Infrastructure Working Group Jaime Roberto Carion, Olympic Gold Medalist of Shooting Wang Yifu, President of the East Asian Games Association Eddie Laam, Acting President of Sports Development Board Alex Vong, Chairman of the Assembly of Members of China Macau Shooting Association Ma Iao Shun, Chairman of the Leadership Committee of China Macau Shooting Association Chan Chak Mo, Managing Director of San Meng Fai Engineering & Construction Company Limited Ho Meng Fai and Eddie Wong Associates Ltd. Architect Eddie Wong.

The ceremony started with the Catholic and Buddhist rituals at 11:00a.m. outside the Administrative Building of Macau International Shooting Range. The guests of honour led by the Chief Executive performed the ribbon cutting ceremony. Director of Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau Jaime Carion handed over the key of the facility to Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério, representing that the Macau International Shooting Range will be the competition venue of the shooting events during the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games to be held from October 29 to November 6.

The ceremony was followed by the vivification of the Golden Dragon and unveiling of the plaque by Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah. A visit to the various ranges in the facilities was arranged for all guests present, including the Administrative Building, the 10m, 25m, 50m and Finals Shooting Range.

To signify the official opening of the Macau International Shooting Range, Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah performed a gun shot inside the Finals Shooting Range. A 10m pistol and a 50m prone exhibition game in the finals shooting range was performed in demonstration of the high level of shooting technology to the guests in the Finals Shooting Range.

Performers of the exhibition games are athletes who participated in the shooting invitation competition yesterday (August 22). The 10m pistol exhibition game featured Gong Qian Chun of China and local athlete Leong Chi Kin. Tian Hui of China and Ng Chee Keong of Singapore participated in the 50m prone exhibition game. The Awards ceremony for the test event shooting invitation competition yesterday (August 22) was held on the Inauguration day of the Macau International Shooting Range.

"The completion of this facility is a door for Macau to organize further shooting competitions of higher standards. I believe the China Macau Shooting Association and the Macao SAR Government will fully support the use of this venue, through which will motivate the development of shooting in Macau", remarked Manuel Silvério after the ceremony.

The game venue for the Macao 4th East Asian Games (EAG)-- Macao International Shooting Center-- was officially inaugurated at noon of August 23.

Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah of the Macao Special Administrative Region government unveiled the plaque to open the new center. The completion will ensure the smooth operation of the shooting event during the coming East Asian Games, according to the overseas edition of People's Daily on August 25.

EAG Organizing Committee Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silverio said at the inauguration ceremony that the completion would open a door for Macao to hold a higher-level international shooting event so as to boost the future development of Macao shooting sports.

By People's Daily Online

The 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee held two days Rowing Test event in Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre on 27-28 August. On the first day, athletes dedicated themselves in competing for the best result. The Rowing Test Event was officially launched at 17:00 on 27 August which included 500 metres men and women lightweight single sculls; 500 metres men and women lightweight double sculls; 500 metres men double sculls and 500 metres women coxless pair, and various Finals will continue today (28 August).

China-Macau Rowing Federation has assigned 14 athletes to participate in 6 events. The rowing competitions went into smooth operation and tested the supporting facilities for the rowing and dragon boat competition in preparation for the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games.

The Rowing test event organized by the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) at the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre was completed successfully on 27-28 August. The Finals began at 11:00; all teams competed rigorously with high spirits to contend for the champions.

Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre being one of the important competition venues for the 4th East Asian Games, MEAGOC has tested the foundation of this test event, these including soft wares, hard wares facilities, organization, collaboration between staffs, and the volunteer program. The Rowing test event was completed successfully and proved adequate preparations for the approach of the 4th East Asian Games.

Celebrating the 60 days countdown to East Asian Games, large crowd forms pattern in the Macau Stadium

With 60 days left, Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games will be held in Macau from 29 October to 6 November. In order to commemorate this special day, the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee will gather the power of East Asian Games in Macau to create a pattern in the turf of Macau Stadium today. The activity is opened to the public and everyone is welcomed to the Macau Stadium at 5:00pm for being a part of the pattern and witnessing the commemoratory moment.

It is anticipated that six hundred MEAGOC staff and their family members with 600 volunteers from will join this activity. The activity will start at 6:00pm and will last for 6 minutes. Besides forming such a huge pattern by the crowd to witness the 60 days countdown, the renovated 4th East Asian Games official web-site will also be launched during the ceremony today for welcoming the East Asian Games with its fresh look.

Citizens are welcomed to join the pattern forming activity or to visit as audience. For sign up or inquiry, please contact Miss Cheung at 7976245. Also, to those who have been signed up, please arrive to the Macau Stadium by 5:00pm to get prepared.

Pics
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Inaugurated on 30 October 2003

The state-of-the art IPM Multisport Pavilion covers a total area of over 6,212 m2 and has a seating capacity of 3,562. This modern Pavilion is ideal for different indoor sports, from a variety of x-sports to assorted ball games, and will be connected to the adjacent Macau Forum via a flyover and a short underground passage.

General Information
Construction Site Area 6,212 m2
Total Building Area 17,339.12 m2
Facilities
1. Network - more than 300 RJ 45 network sockets located in every floor of the building.
2. LED - 1 set:

a. Full colour Display:
Resolution: 640 x384
Size: 6.4m x 3.84m
Pixel pitch:10 mm
b. Dual colour Display:
Resolution: 320 x384
Size: 3.2m x 3.84m
Pixel pitch:10 mm
Competition Timing / Scoring System
3. Video / Audio system : TV Broadcast Cable Network / Video Treatment System / 3 Broadcast Cameras
4. Building Management System - one for air conditioning and the other for lighting
5. Automatic Control HVAC System
Environmental
Friendly Design
1. Building designed to utilize natural light
2. The installation of an electronic sun block device to regulate light from getting in, thus avoid waste of energy through air conditioning.
3. Diffusion air conditioning system.
Address Rua do Instituto Politécnico
From downtown About 10 minutes drive
(5 minutes drive from the New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal)
Parking

Total: 106 vehicles
(Car: 95, Van: 8, For disabled: 3)
Nearby Facilities Macau Forum, Press and Information Centre, New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal, 10 hotels

Pavilion
Competition Area 45 m x 32 m
45 m x 22 m (if there are retractable seats)
Maximum Height 18.5 m
Surface Material Wood
Lighting 1,500 Lux
Seats

Total: 3,742 seats

2,625 : fixed seats
181 : VIP seats
168 : press seats
768 : retractable seats
Suited Sports Suitable for all kinds of indoor sports

Pics

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Already a popular functional indoor venue, the Macau Forum will undergo a series of renovation, from extension of the Media's working area and broadcasting rooms, as well as the VIP area, to the building of direct links to the new Media Centre. Seating up to 4,000, the Macau Forum's main pavilion is ideal for different sports and cultural activities.

General Information
Construction Details Change to diffusion air-conditioning system, change VIP seats
Conclusion Time Concluded in September 2004
Construction Site Area 7,280 m2
Address Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigures, Macau.
From downtown About 15 minutes drive.
(Located five minutes drive from the New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal. Adjacent to Press and Information Centre.)
Parking 76 vehicles
Nearby Facilities Press and Information Centre, IPM Multisport Pavilion, New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal and 10 hotels
Games Usage Wushu competition venue, Taekwondo competition and warm-up venue

The construction fees only include the demolition of the old air-conditioner systems, the fees of the VIP seats and the new air-conditioning systems are include in the Press and Information Centre.

Pavilion
Competition Area 45 m x 25 m
Maximum Height 12 m
Surface Material Ceramic mosaic with unglazed vitrified tiles, with interchangeable flooring, from wood, taraflex to synthetic carpet
Lighting 1,500 Lux

Seats
Total: 4,064 seats
3,831 fixed seats
80 VIP seats
144 press seats
9 VVIP seats
Suited Sports Volleyball, Basketball, Wushu, Taekwando, Karate-do, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, DanceSport, Roller Hockey, etc.

Pics

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Inaugurated on 18 July 2005

Covering a total area of 8,948m2, Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre will be the main venue for the Dragon Boat and Rowing tournaments. The 500 metre long course will have 6 racing lanes, each 13.5m wide. There will be around 800 fixed seats and is able to set up to 2,000 temporary seats.

General Information
Current Status Began in Nov 2004
Expected Conclusion Time June 2005
Facilities
1. WAN/LAN Network - more than 40 RJ 45 network sockets locat ed in the office area.
2. Competition Timing / Scoring System － Omega Competition Timing / Scoring System for Rowing and Dragon Boat
3. PA system

Environmental Friendly Design
1. Cleaning up the competition area and surrounding waterweeds and sludge, fill back in river sand;
Dredging Area: 136,000 m2
Dredging Volume: 240,000 m3
2. To avoid polluting the lake water, the sewage system directly connect to the city’s sewage system;
3. Greening area.
Location Nam Van Lake. Adjacent to Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre.
From downtown About 5 minutes drive
Nearby Facilities Sai Van Lake Nautical Facilities, Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre and 1 hotel
Games usage Dragon Boat and Rowing competition, warm-up and training venue

Competition Area
Maximum Depth Approx. 3.5 m
Facilities There is a start tower and aligners’ hut-in line at the starting point, photo finishing at the Finish area.
Suited Sports Canoeing, Rowing, Dragon Boat, etc.

Terrestrial facilities
Construction Site Area 11,708 m2 nautical platform and facilities
Facilities Preparation area for athletes, pontoons, “dragon boat” vivifi cat ion ceremony platform area, boat storage area and changing rooms.
Seats 882 fixed seats, an area to accommodate 2,000 moveable seats, current plan is to set 804 moveable seats for the Games, 402 for VIP and 402 for public.

Pics

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Inaugurated on 16 November 2004

A modern indoor multisport complex that will cover a total area of more than 5,530 m2, and is built within a couple of minutes walk from a separate warm-up hall; this complex can seat up to 4,000 people and is suitable for a variety of indoor sports, from aerobics, gymnastics to different ball games.

Situated in the heart of the City, this Pavilion is just a 10 minutes drive from the New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal. The redevelopment of the adjacent public square with a 200 space car park below it will bring new public amenity to this historical part of central Macau.

The glass and aluminum external curtain walling provides a high level of transparency and allows the full utilization of natural light within the sports hall. This extensive use of glass combined with the dramatic curved roof gives the Pavilion an exciting modern appearance.

A new elementary school has been incorporated into the development. The school operates quite independently of the sports Pavilion. However, the design provides the flexibility for these two independent users to share facilities when their separate timetables permit.

A number of commercial tenancies, including a Coffee Shop on the top floor, have been incorporated into the project in recognition of its inner city location.

Together with the new IPM Pavilion, the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion will become another important indoor sport venue for the Macau 2005, 4 th East Asian Games.

Information
Construction Site Area 5,530 m2

Building Area
Total Bldg Area: 28,035 m2
(include nearby elementary school)

Pavilion Building Area: 21,011 m2
(include the main pavilion and the secondary pavilion)
Elementary School Building Area
7,024 m2 (with a pavilion for the School)

Environmental Friendly Design
1. Skillful designed roof top and external curtain walling to best utilizing sunlight;
2. The installation of an electronic sun block device to regulate light from getting in, thus avoid waste of energy through air conditioning;
3. Diffusion air conditioning system with frequency conversion and heat recovery.

Address Rua de Ferreira do Amaral

Location In the heart of the City
(10 minutes drive from the New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal)
Parking

Total: 90 vehicles
(Car: 76, Bus: 7, Van: 1, For disabled: 6)
Nearby Facilities Vasco da Gama Car Park and 6 Hotels

Main Pavilion
Competition Area 45.4 m x 36.4 m
34.6 m x 25.6 m (if there are retractable seats)
Height 15m~22m
Surface Material Wood
Lighting 1,600 Lux
Seats
Total : 3,295 seats
1,986 fixed seats
189 VIP seats
1,120 retractable seats

Facilities
1. WAN / LAN Network - RJ 45 network sockets located in every floor of the building;
2. LED - 2 set:
1st set --

a. Full colour Display:
Resolution: 640 x384
Size: 6.4m x 3.84m
Pixel pitch:10 mm
b. Dual colour Display:
Resolution: 320 x384
Size: 3.2m x 3.84m
Pixel pitch:10 mm
Brightness: 800 cd/m2 (variable)
2nd set --

Dual colour Display:
Resolution: 960 x 384
Size: 9.6m x 3.84m
Pixel pitch:10 mm
3. Competition Timing / Scoring System: can support various languages.
4. Video Broadcast System :

a. TV Broadcast Cable Network
b. Video Treatment System
c. 3 Broadcast Cameras
d. 9 camera access points at competition area
e. Microwave access point
f. OB van access point
5. CCTV / Access Control / PA system / Audio system
6. Building Management System – one for air conditioning and the other for lighting;
7. Generator (600KVA)
Suited Sports Volleyball, Basketball, Wushu, Taekwando, Karate-do, Weightlifting, Handball, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, etc.

Pics

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Inaugurated on 26 February 2004

The Centre is designed to serve as a training centre of East Asian Games volunteers target on tertiary level students. Training courses and activities will be organised to develop the potentials of the participants.

General Information
Area 9,510.2 m2
Address Estrada Coronel Mesquita n.°14 - "Edifício San Vu San Chong" Taipa
Rent Period 2003-2006
Parking 5 vehicles
Facilities Dancing rooms, conference rooms, band rooms, table tennis room, piano room, information room, reading area, snooker room.
From downtown About 25 minutes drive
Nearby Facilities 4 hotels, Macau Olympic Complex.

Pics

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Adjacent to the Macau Stadium, the Macau Hockey Centre is known to meet the highest requirement of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Covering a total area of 11,600 m2, the Macau Hockey Centre offers a high quality artificial grass field with an extensive run-off area.

General Information
Construction Site Area 11,600 m2
Address Avenida Olímpica, Taipa
From downtown About 25 minutes drive
Parking 250 vehicles (same lo cat ion as Macau Stadium)
Nearby Facilities Macau Stadium, Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre, 4 floors and outdoor car park,sport multi-purpose zone,a football field with athletics tracks in MUST, two 4-star hotels, Macau Jockey Club

Synthetic Turf Field
Competition Area 91.4 m x 55 m
Surface Synthetic Turf
Lighting 1,500 Lux
Seats Total 799 seats : 749 fixed seats and 50 VIP seats
Items Hockey
Facilities
1. Lighting Control
2. 4 lighting high masts which reach the standard to hold FIH events
3. Generator for emergencies

Pics

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Inaugurated on 28 March 2003

The first major sport infrastructure investment of the Macao SAR Government to be completed, the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre covers a total area of 10,172.7 m2 and has a seating capacity of 1,500. The Aquatic Centre has been built with a diving pool of 25 metres by 25 metres that has an adjustable base reaching a maximum depth of 5 metres, and a 10-lane standard swimming pool, 50 metres in length.

General Information
Construction Site Area 10,172.7 m2
Lighting 2,000 Lux
Seats 1,500 fixed seats
Facilities
1. Building Management System, Diffusion Air - Conditioning System, Total Ozonation Water Treatment System.
2. LED - 1 set:
Full colour Display:
Resolution: 640 x 368
Size: 7.6m x 4.5m
Pixel pitch:12 mm
3. Timing and Scoring System, decorative aquatic illumination and aquatic windows, sauna and steam rooms.

Environmental Friendly Design
1. Total Ozonation Water Treatment System: reduce waste water discharge and thus reduce water pollution.
2. Advanced air-conditioning system: in summer cool air is sent from the bottom of every individual seat
3. Heat recovery VRV System: in winter, heat generated by the engine room is sent to the hall.
4. skillful designed roof top to best utilizing sunlight.
5. Boiler: use excess heat from the boiler for air conditioning purposes.
Address Avenida Olímpica, Taipa. Adjacent to the Macau Stadium
From downtown About 25 minutes drive

Parking
Macau Olympic Complex Multi-Purpose Zone Car Park --
Total: 872 vehicles

Four floors: 114 (each floor), 2 for disabled
Ground floor: 8 bus lines
Outdoor: 408
Nearby Facilities Macau Stadium, Macau Hockey Centre, 4-storey parking lot and a outdoor parking lot, Multi-Purpose Zone,two 4-star hotels and the Macau Jockey Club

Swimming Pool of 50M
Pool Size 50m x 25m, 8 competition lanes
Maximum Depth 2.16m
Items Aquatic sports, including swimming, water polo and fin swimming, etc.

Swimming Pool of 25M
Pool Size 25m x 25m
Maximum Depth 5m (Automatic pool platform, adjustable from 0-5m)
Items Diving synchronized swimming, etc, and as warm-up areas

Pics

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The Macau Stadium covers an area of 35,585 m2 and will be undergoing a series of major upgrading and expansion work, including the remodelling of the indoor pavilion and the modernisation of various supporting equipment and systems. Seating up to 16,000, the Macau Stadium is suitable for a number of sports and cultural events, from track and field to football, and concerts to Opening Ceremony.

The Macao Stadium Indoor Pavilion is one of the affiliated sports venues of the Macao Stadium, with a total of 935 spectator seats, athletes changing rooms, referees changing rooms and competition working rooms etc. The total area of the competition field is 45m x 33m and a layer of special indoor sport-used wooden floor is being laid where different kinds of indoor sports competitions can be held, such as basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis and badminton etc.

General Information
Expected Conclusion Time June 2005
Construction Site Area 35,585 m2
Facilities Color Electronic Scoreboard and advanced communi cat ion systems.

Environmental Friendly Design
1. The lo cat ion’s open drainage ditches are covered to reduce pollution.
2. Trees and lawns are planted to form a outdoor playground for the Olympic Complex.
3. A wide green strip will be built around the Macau Stadium to benefit the whole community.
Address Avenida Olímpica, Taipa.
From downtown About 25 minutes drive

Parking Total : 212 vechicles
8 buses, 144 cars, 60 motorbike seats

General Facilities
1. WAN/LAN Network － 400 RJ 45network sockets lo cat ed in every floor of the building.
2. LED - 1 set:
Full colour Display:
Resolution: 768 x 576
Size: 12.3m x 9.2m
Pixel Pitch (Dpi): 16mm
Lighting: 600-3,500 cd/m2
3. Competition Timing / Scoring System － Omega track & field timing and scoring system.
4. Audio and Video System:
a. TV Broadcast Cable Network
b. Video System
c. 30camera wall boxes at competition area
d. OB van Wall Box
5. CCTV/Access Control/PA system
6. BMS – 1 for A/C and 1 for lighting
7. generators and UPS for emergencies
Nearby Facilities Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre, Hockey Centre, 4 floors and outdoor car park, sport multi-purpose zone, a football field with athletics tracks in MUST, two 4-star hotels, Macau Jockey Club.

Main Field
Competition Area
105 m x 68 m
8 lane Class A, 400m Tartan Tracks (Rekortan)
Surface Material Turf / Tartan
Lighting 1,500~2,000 Lux
Seats Total : 16,272 seats
13,645 fixed seats, 1,673 press seats, 954 VIP seats
Facilities
1. 4 Lighting High Masts which reach the standard to hold FIFA events.
2. Photo finish facilities.
3. Professional audio system.
Items Football, Track and Field, etc.

Pavilion
Competition Area
45 m x 33 m
45 m x 25 m ( if there are retractable seats)
Maximum Height 9m
Surface Material Wood
Lighting 1,500~2,000 Lux
Seats
Total 935 seats : 368 VIP seats and 567 seats
Facilities
Movable LED – 1 set
Full colour Display:
Resolution: 320 x 240
Size: 3.2m x 2.4m
Pixel pitch:12mm
Items Volleyball, Basketball, Wushu, Taekwando, Karate-do, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, Gymnastics, Acr
obatic Cycling etc.

General Information
Construction started in October 2004
Current Progress Almost finish structural work by June, at the same time working on interior plastering
Expected Conclusion Time 1st phrase: September 2005
Number of rooms
- 1st phrase: 506
incl. : 502 double rooms, 4 single rooms
- 2nd phrase: 42 double rooms

Car Park
Total: 79 vehicles
Motorcycles: 61
Cars: 18

Accommodation
1st phrase : 1,008 people
2nd phrase: 84 people
Construction Site Area 4,850.63 m2
Construction Area of Bldg. 29,413.07 m2
Address Av. Padre Tomás Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macau
From downtown About 20 minutes drive
Nearby Facilities University of Macau ,UM Sports Complex, 2 hotels

General Information
Construction started on September 2005
Construction Site Area 44,800 m2
From downtown About 25 minutes drive

Football Field
Competition Area
105 m x 6 8m
8 lane Class A, 400 m Tartan Tracks
Surface Material Turf / Tartan (Rekortan)
Lighting 1,500~2,000 Lux
Seats 1,775 seats
Items Football, Track and Field, etc.

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Situated in COTAI, the Macau East Asian Games Dome will be Macao's largest and most modern sport facility, a three-storey multi-purpose sport complex covering a total area of 139,960 m 2 and has been designed with two separate functional indoor pavilions ideal for different indoor sports and activities, as well as a large exhibition hall that can accommodate up to 2,000 people.

Pavilion I
With a total seating capacity of more than 7,000, one of this pavilion's main features is the dedicated indoor track and field set-up; ideal for different activities, from the important Closing Ceremonies to various sporting events.

Pavilion II
This pavilion can seat up to 2,000 and is designed with a central stage that offers an U-shaped spectators seats setting, audiences are provided with a perfect view of the exciting activities on the stage, especially suitable for different exhibition sports, including dance sports and others.

General Information
Construction Site Area 139,960 m2
Construction Area of Building 54,620 m2
Maximum Height 49m (Interior)
Facilities Diffusion Air Conditioning System, Electronic Scoreboard and advanced communi cat ion systems.
Environmental Friendly Design
1. Emphasis on the post-Games use of facilities, eg. the exhibition centre is designed for the stated purpose.
2. Large green areas will be planted around the area to enhance its natural environment.
From downtown About 35 minutes drive

Parking Total: 1,003 vehicles
Cars: 900, buses: 74, mini-buses: 17, lorries: 12
Nearby Facilities Macau International Shooting Range, Tennis Academy & Bowling Centre, Lotus Bridge, Golf Club (to be built), hotels (to be built)

Arena
Construction Area of Building 24,050 m2
Competition Area 4,860 m2 * (Oval axis : 92.5m and 62)
Maximum Height 20m (till cat walk)
Surface Material With interchangeable flooring, from wood, taraflex to synthetic carpet
Lighting 2,000 Lux

Seats 7,000 seats
Facilities
LED - 1 set:
Full colour Display:
Resolution: 640 x480
Size: 6.4m x 4.8m
Dpi: 10 mm
Pixel pitch:10 mm
Brightness: 1,000 ~ 3,000 cd/m2 (variable)
Suited Sports Gymnastics, Volleyball, Basketball, Wushu, Taekwando, Karate-do, Badminton, Table Tennis, Futsal, DanceSport, Indoor Track and Field, Extreme Sports, etc.

Theatre
Construction Area of Building
13,030 m2
Area 945 m2
Maximum Height 20m
Surface Material With interchangeable flooring, from wood, taraflex to synthetic carpet
Lighting 2,000 Lux
Seats 1, 992 fixed seats
Facilities
LED - 1 set:
Full colour Display (movable):
Resolution: 320 x 240
Size: 3.2m x 2.4m
Dpi: 10 mm
Pixel pitch:10 mm
Brightness: 1,000 ~ 3,000 cd/m2 (variable)
Suited Sports With a central stage and its U-shape spectators setting, this is ideal for different exhibition sports, eg. DanceSport.

Exhibition Centre
Construction Area of Building 17,540 m2
Area 2,700 m2
Maximum Height 4.6 m
Lighting 1,000/1,500 Lux
Functions Ideal for exhibitions and trade fairs.

Macao International Convention Centre
Area 3,000 m2
Maximum Height 15 m
Lighting 1,000/1,500 Lu
Capacity 2,000 people
Functions Ideal for large banquets, exhibitions and meetings.

East Asian Logistic Centre
Area 2,154 m2 +1,170 m2 (exclude office)
Maximum Height 6.75 m

* Space available for Athletics tracks, which can accommodate 6 tracks with each track 200m and eight 60m straight tracks.

Pics

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Adjacent to the Macau East Asian Games Dome, the Macau International Shooting Range will cover a total area of 73,600 m 2 and is to be built for 10 metres, 25 metres and 50 metres shooting.

General Information
Construction Starting Date December 2004
Expected Conclusion Time August 2005
Construction Site Area 52,355 m2
Construction Area of Building 29,199 m2
Environmental Friendly Design The green area around East Asian Games Dome will extend to the Shooting Range , forming a green belt between the two facilities, with more than 100 species of vegetation.
Location COTAI International Sport Complex
From downtown About 35 minutes drive

Parking Total: 107
Private cars: 62, motorcycles: 38, buses: 7
Nearby Facilities Macau East Asian Games Dome, Tennis Academy & Bowling Centre, Lotus Bridge, Golf Club (to be built), hotels (to be built)

10M Shooting Range
Construction Area of Building 5,702 m2 (indoor), 2 floors
No. of Lanes
60 fire lines + 5 running target fire lines
Lighting 1,000 Lux – Target Area, 300 Lux – Main Area (ISSF)
Seats Total: 466 seats
336 fixed seats
84 VIP seats
36 Press seats
10 spaces for disabled
Suited Sports Air Pistol (men/women), Air Rifle (men/women), Running Target (men/women)

25M Shooting Range
Construction Area of Building

5,975 m2 (20m outdoor in the competition area), 2 floors
No. of Lanes 60 fire lines
Lighting 1,000 Lux -- Target Area, 300 Lux – Main Area (ISSF)
Seats Total: 358 seats
228 fixed seats
84 VIP seats
36 Press seats
10 spaces for disabled
Suited Sports Rapid-Fire Pistol (Men), Standard Pistol (Women)

50M Shooting Range
Construction Area of Building 11,379 m2 (46m outdoor in the competition area), 2 floors
No. of Lanes 60 fire lines
Lighting 1,000 Lux – Target Area, 300 Lux – Main Area (ISSF)
Seats Total: 563 seats
404 fixed seats
84 VIP seats
36 Press seats
12 spaces for disabled
Suited Sports 50mm Rifle 3 Positions (Men/Women), Rifle Prone (Men/Women), Air Rifle (Men)

Final Shooting Range
Construction Area of Building

4,037 m2 (27m outdoor in the competition area), 3 floors
No. of Lanes 10 fire lines
Lighting 1,000 Lux – Target Area, 300 Lux – Main Area (ISSF)
Seats Total: 579 seats
311 fixed seats
138 VIP seats
74 Coach/Athletes seats
8 spaces for disabled persons
Suited Sports 10m~50m events

Administrative building
Construction Area of Building 2,106 m2 (20m outdoor in the competition area), 3 floors and a basement
Facilities Offices, guns and bullets store

Pics

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With a centre court surrounded by 880 spectator seats, 8 tennis courts and a supporting technology centre, the Tennis Academy is located approximately 6 km away from the centre of Macau.

With 300 spectator seats, 24 bowling lanes, a restaurant and 3 squash courts, the Bowling Centre is located approximately 6 km away from the centre of Macau.

General Information
Construction starting date March 2005
Expected Conclusion Time 31 August 2005
Construction Site Area 21,135 m2
From downtown About 35 minutes drive
Nearby Facilities Macau International Shooting Centre, Macau East Asian Games Dome, Lotus Bridge, Golf Club (to be built), hotels (to be built)

Tennis Academy Facilities
1 centre court with approx. 880 spectator seats and 8 training / warm up courts;
Commercial and restaurant areas available.
Suited Sports Tennis, Soft Tennis

Bowling Centre
Facilities
24 lanes provision with approx. 300 temporary spectator seats
Restaurant, café & Commercial area projected
Suited Sports Bowling

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The Beijing municipal government and BOCOG together with the government of Macao Special Administrative Region and Macao organization committee of the 4th East-Asian Games held a press conference and signed cooperation memorandum in the afternoon of September 2, which indicated that the Beijing Night and Olympic promotion theme activities held in Macao by the Beijing City during the 4th East-Asian Games had entered into substantial preparatory stage. When the time comes, the Beijing municipal government will present Beijing and introduce the preparations of 2008 Olympic Games from all respects in Macao with “One World, One Dream” as the theme and the introduction of Beijing’s improvements after the policy of opening and reform, the preparatory status of 2008 Olympic Games and the graceful capital look as the content.

According to Wang Hui, the director of the information office of beijing municipal people's government, Beijing municipal government will organize a delegation of about 200 people to Macao during the 4th East-Asian Games to develop four kinds of activities including grand comprehensive literary and artistic evening party named Beijing Night, the exhibition of New Beijing, Great Olympics, the preparatory situations of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the ceremony of presenting Olympic knowledge books to Macao middle and preliminary schools.

Xiao Weili, the chairman of Macao organization committee of the 4th East-Asian Games addressed at the press conference that with the all-out support of Macao Special Administrative Region and the cooperation and assistance of the City of Beijing and BOCOG, Macao organization committee would try to make the 4th East-Asian Games the most successful East-Asian Games.

Leaded by Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério, a delegation from MEAGOC paid a visit to Beijing on 2 September, and signed the memorandum on the hosting of "Beijing Night" and other Olympics promotional activities. Beijing Government will organise a cultural night and a series of activities in Macau SAR during the 4th East Asian Games. After the signing ceremony, Manuel Silvério and his delegation met with Deputy Party Secretary of Beijing Municipality Long Xinmin. Both parties exchanged opinions on the matters related to the activities Beijing will organise in Macau SAR and the preparatory arrangements of the two Games. During the meeting, they also exchanged souvenirs. On behalf of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau SAR Fernando Chui Sai On, Manuel Silvério presented the model of the Macau East Asian Games Dome to Long Xinmin.

The press conference and the signing ceremony of the memorandum on the hosting of "Beijing Night" and others Olympics promotional activities were held in the press conference room of the Beijing Olympic Media Centre. Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério and Director of the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and Beijing Olympic Media Centre Wang Hui represented the two parties to sign the memorandum, confirming that during the 4th East Asian Games, the Beijing Municipality, BOGOC, the Macau SAR Government and MEAGOC will jointly organize the "Beijing Night" and other Olympics promotional activities in Macau. On 30 and 31 October, two sessions of "Beijing Night" variety show will be held in the Theatre of the Macau East Asian Games Dome. Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games will act as a platform of promoting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the image of the capital. Other activities include the "New Beijing, New Olympics" Exhibition, "Preparation for 2008 Beijing Olympic Games" Conference and "Presentation of Olympic Games Reading Materials", in which both secondary and primary schools will receive ten thousand copies of reading materials.

After the signing ceremony, Manuel Silvério pointed out that Macau is a city of diversified culture. Macau¡¦s role as a platform of cultural exchange between East and West is further established after it joined the List of World Heritage. Thus, he believed that the 4th East Asian Games, being an international sporting event, offers a valuable opportunity for Macau to strengthen its concept of integrated development of culture, sports and tourism; showcase the success of "One country, Two systems" and "Macao People Administrating Macao"; demonstrate the comprehensive national strength of our Motherland; as well as garner attention to the magnificent series of international events that will be held in China. He also remarked that through the activities that the Beijing Municipality will organise in Macau, the 4th East Asian Games will be much more meaningful and at the same time, enriched its activities program. MEAGOC is much honored to contribute to the promotion of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, in particular, by co-organizing promotional activities of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Macau during the East Asian Games Period. In addition, the cooperation and exchange between Beijing and Macau is believed to be beneficial to the promotion of the two Games and the achievement of a win-win situation.

Wang Hui expressed in her speech that the leaders of the Beijing Municipality has showed that they have committed their full support. The related departments of Beijing and MEAGOC will jointly arrange the above activities, to demonstrate the Beijing culture, the messages of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the distinguished image of Macau SAR.

Manuel Silvério and his delegates had a meeting with Deputy Party Secretary of Beijing Municipality Long Xinmin after the signing ceremony. Attendants included Vice-Chairman of the 10th CPPCC Beijing Municipal Committee Huang Chengxiang and Long Xinmin expressed that Beijing Government expects to strengthen cultural exchanges between the Motherland and the Macau SAR through the related cultural activities. Manuel Silvério agreed and emphasized that Macau SAR Government has also committed its full support. Long Xinmin introduced the progress of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the concept of including residents from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Chinese Taipei and other overseas Chinese in the volunteer plan of BOGOC. Manuel Silvério also introduced the preparatory work of the 4th East Asian Games, the 1st Lusofonia Games and the 2nd Asian Indoor Games. He said that Macau SAR can organize to join the preparation of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. During the meeting, both parties exchanged souvenirs, in which on behalf of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau SAR Fernando Chui Sai On, Manuel Silvério presented the model of the Macau East Asian Games Dome to Long Xinmin.

Manuel Silvério and his delegates visited Beijing between 1 -3 September.

President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), His Excellency Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, will arrive in Macau at noon tomorrow (6th Sept.) for a two-day visit. During the visit, President will meet the Chief Executive, and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Fernando Chui Sai On will host a banquet in honour of the visiting President. In the afternoon, the President will preside the unveiling of the bronze statue at the Macau International Shooting Centre and meet local athletes, to better understand sports development in Macau. Other visiting points include the Macau Olympic Sports Complex (Taipa) and part of the World Cultural Heritage sites of Macau.

The President of OCA, H.E. Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, is highly ranked internationally as President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Minister Minister of Energy and Chairman of Kuwaiti Petroleum Company. In this visit to Macau, his accompanying officials include Muttaleb, Husain and Reza. H.E. Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah will depart to Guangzhou on 7 September to attend the 24th OCA General Assembly.

The delegation of MEAGOC was back to Macau on September 3 after their visit to Beijing to sign the memorandum for the organizations of "Beijing Night" and Olympic Games promotional activities. The delegation was warmly received in a number of banquets where both sides have launched fruitful discussions on various aspects.

In the welcome party hosted by Jiang Xiaoyu, Executive Vice President of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and Director of Media and Communications Department, Manuel Silvério introduced the latest preparation of the 4th East Asian Games and expressed his satisfaction on the constructions progress of the sport facilities. Silvério said Macau would be pleased to organize a team of Portuguese-speaking volunteers to contribute to the Beijing Olympic after he learned from Jiang Xiaoyu that Beijing found it difficult to recruit volunteers with Portuguese, Spanish and Italian proficiency. Before the occasion concluded, both parties exchanged souvenirs for good wishes.

MEAGOC was also received by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and Beijing Olympic Media Center in a banquet. Director Wang Hui expressed that the promotion activities of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were respectively launched in New Zealand, Japan and France, with Washington D.C. to be the next location in October. While emphasizing Macau as one of the destinations for the promotions, the director pointed out that Macau was one of the best cooperation partners of this promotional project. She had great confidence in the success of the promotional activities in Macau although within the limited time of two months for preparation. Silvério also believed that with great supports of the Macao SAR government and the efforts of the staffs and volunteers of MEAGOC, the promotion activities for Beijing Olympic as well as the 4th East Asian Games would both come to a great satisfaction.

In addition, Vice-Director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture Wang Zhu and Director-General of Committee of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Affairs of CPPCC Beijing Committee Zhou Yanyun expressed their warm welcome to MEAGOC in their respective welcome banquets. To facilitate the works of both parties, Wang Zhu and MEAGOC discussed in a meeting the detail arrangement of "Beijing Night". On the other hand, Zhou Yanyun showed his interests and supports in the upcoming great events to be held in Macau in the near future.

"The 2-day trip to Beijing is fruitful. I am so pleased that we were warmly received by Beijing¡¦s counterpart." Manuel Silvério said after the trip. He hoped that with great support of the Macao SAR government, both Beijing and Macau would have more cooperation opportunities in other areas so as to diversify the cultural activities in the two cities.

It is widely known that Macau is hosting the 4th East Asian Games ¡V but everyone, it seems, wants a piece of the action.

The organising committee has been inundated with requests from other sports organisations to hold promotional events during the period of the Games, from October 29 to November 6. While attending the 24th general assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in Guangzhou, the chairman of the board of directors of the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC), Manuel Silvério, met various organizing committees to discuss promotional activities in Macau .

On September 8, Mr Silvério represented MEAGOC at a meeting with the 2007 Changchun Winter Asian Games Organising Committee (CWAGOC) to plan such a project. CWAGOC felt that, with the two multi-sports events roughly the same size, they will send a study team to Macau and observe the work of MEAGOC. During the meeting, CWAGOC suggested staging a cultural event called "Night of Changchun" to promote culture and sports in the Chinese city, and MEAGOC supported the idea and offered their assistance in making it a success. On behalf of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau SAR, Fernando Chui Sai On, Mr Silvério presented a souvenir to An Li, the deputy mayor of Changchun, after the meeting.

Mr Silvério also met with the 2006 Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC) in Guangzhou. Both parties discussed the idea of staging part of the torch relay for the Doha Asian Games in Macau. At the invitation of DAGOC, Mr Silvério promised to send a team of volunteers from Macau to work at the Doha Asian Games as they would have the experience of the 4th East Asian Games behind them.

During the busy trip to Guangzhou, Mr Silvério also met Xu Deli, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, and Yang Naijun, President of Provincial Sports of Guangdong, and exchanged ideas about the promotion of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in Macau.

After those meetings, Mr Silvério described the 4th East Asian Games as a great multi-sports event, and said it would give Macau the chance to prove it could host different international activities and improve the international image of the city. Also, through the interest in the Games, the city would become an excellent platform for the promotion of all Asian sports events which, in turn, would contribute to the overall development of sport in Asia.

The Macau Olympic Committee (MOC) and the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC) have signed a "Principles of Cooperation" document covering the journey of the Torch Relay through Macau on its way to Qatar for the 2006 Asiad.

The document was signed in Guangzhou on September 9 by MOC president Eddie Laam Wah Ying and by Hassan Al-Suwaidi, DAGOC¡¦s Torch Relay escort programme coordinator.

In late 2006, the Torch Relay will undertake a unique journey. After the lighting ceremony in Qatar, the torch will begin the international relay leg in late August, covering all 45 participating countries and regions.

For the next 80 days it will be carried through 39 Asian countries and regions, including Macau, and in early November it will begin its journey through the six Gulf countries. On December 1, the torch will be carried into Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar, for the opening ceremony of the 15th Asian Games.

The exact date of the Macau leg of the relay has not been fixed, but the MOC has vowed to maximise community involvement and to promote interest in the Doha Asian Games.

The conditions state that DAGOC will assist MOC with both the route of the relay and the selection of torchbearers. The "Principles of Cooperation" document was signed by both parties on the sidelines of the 24th general assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia in Guangzhou.

On behalf of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture and Chairman of the 4th East Asian Games Television Broadcasting Council Chui Sai On, Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silvério presided over a work meeting of the Council on 12 September. Attended the meeting were representatives from parties and entities partaking in the broadcasting of the Games. In the next few days, the representatives would discuss and confirm an operational plan to ensure smooth implementation of all components of the project. Host Broadcaster CCTV sent a 59-person delegation to Macau to make coordination in the Games' venues and hold discussions on technical issues with an objective to find solutions for the open issues.

On 12 September morning, the work meeting was convened in the Auditorium at MEAGOC Headquarters and attended by representatives from MEAGOC, Host broadcasters China Central Television Station (CCTV) and Teledifusao de Macau (TDM), as well as Companhia Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM) which would be responsible for signal transmission. On the meeting, reports were made on the progress of preparations and attention was drawn to specific issues that required coordination.

On behalf of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On, Manuel Silvério welcomed the guests in the meeting. He pointed out that this is the last and also the most important meeting for discussing TV broadcasting issues of the Games, CCTV has sent a delegation consisting 59 people to co-ordinate technical concerns, he thought that the problems remind would be solved effectively. He said that the IBC set up is progressing well and the transmission solution with which IBC is the core unit and the set ups in the venues are also well planned. Therefore, he believes that TV broadcasting project of the Games will be implemented successfully.


Vice President of CCTV Sun Yusheng remarked that TV broadcasting project of the Games has been well set. The main objectives of the CCTV delegation were to confirm the locations of cameras in different venues and ensure that all the necessary technical supports are in place. In addition, Sun Yusheng expressed that the team undertaking the broadcasting of the Games would be mainly formed by members of the team that produced programs of the Athens Olympic Games. The team would adopt same standard as that in the broadcasting of Olympic Games in the hope of projecting Macau's energetic characteristics to the world via its international quality broadcasting.

Sun Yusheng further announced that, in order to provide full coverage of the Games, CCTV would cooperate with Guangdong TV Station, Tianjin TV Station and Wuhan TV Station in the broadcasting of events of the 17 sports.

On the meeting, Vice Director of CCTV Sports Centre Zhou Jing, Jiang Heping and Chen Zeshi also delivered work reports on signal production and staff assignments.

According to Chairman of Executive Committee of TDM Manuel Gonçalves, TDM has started the promotional campaign of the East Asian Games as Games time is closed. He was confident that the experience that TDM accumulated in broadcasting and producing sports programs in recent years would be cornerstones of the successful broadcasting of the events.

Representative from CTM Nelson Mak Veng Va reported on the progress of CTM's preparations for international signal transmission and the transmission routes solution and mentioned specific matters that required coordination. MEAGOC's Manager for TV Broadcasting Cândida Ramos reported on the sales of TV broadcasting right. At present, 4 television and media organizations, including CCTV, TDM, Television Broadcasts Limited and Korean Central Television Broadcasting (KCTV), had purchased the broadcasting right of the 4th East Asian Games. The extensive sales of the broadcasting right could effectively enhance the awareness to the Games around the world.

In the afternoon, members of the Television Broadcasting Council began its inspection to the Games'venues. The Council would confirm plans on the location of cameras, signal transmission routes and technical setup upon their inspection to all the venues. On 13 September, there will be a conclusion meeting held in MEAGOC Headquarters.

Members of the 4th East Asian Games Television Broadcasting Council include:
Fernando Chui Sai On, The Secretary for the Social Affairs and Culture
Zhang Guoyi, Chief of the Information Division of Liaison Affairs Department of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Under the Satate Council
Zhang Sio Guang, Chief of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of State Administration fo Rádio, Film and Television of China
Manuel Silvério, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC
Zhou Jing, Deputy Director of the CCTV Sports Centre
Manuel Goncalves, CEO of TDM
Zhong Yi, Consultant of the Office of Secretary for the Social Affairs and Culture
Chau Ka Lai, Communication and Cultural Events Director of MEAGOC
Frederico Alexandre do Rosário, Deputy Technical and Production Controller of TDM
Cândida M.C. Ramos, Manager for TV Broadcasting of MEAGOC

The Television Broadcasting Council (TBC) of the 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) held a final conference on September 13 after a two-day inspection of the venues.

As host broadcaster of the Games, CCTV also represents the interests of Guangdong TV Station, Tianjin TV Station and Wuhan TV Station, and sent a 59-strong delegation to coordinate the venues and discuss technical issues. By being on site they could also resolve any problems that may arise, in order to guarantee a smooth service for the related broadcasters, according to the plan of the 4th East Asian Games.

The TBC was presided over by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, on behalf of Fernando Chiu Sai On, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, mainly to observe the findings of the inspection tour and the positions of the cameras.

Jiang Heping, Director of CCTV Sports Centre, concluded that the meeting was very effective and worthwhile because most of the problems were solved, and any new issues could be addressed quickly.

He said that CCTV's coverage of the 4th East Asian Games would be of Olympic Games-standard, and that the staff would project the best possible international images to the viewers to capture the drama and the emotion of the Games.
Manuel Silverio concluded that the purpose of CCTV's visit to Macau to inspect all the organisational plans had been achieved. The visit took in the venues, the three main press centres and the international broadcasting centre, and the delegates were satisfied with all the technical arrangements, power supplies and other equipment needed to guarantee top-quality operation and transmission. The CCTV schedule is now confirmed, and this will ensure the success of their East Asian Games coverage.

CCTV, as the host broadcaster, accept their responsibilites for 15 of the 17 sports, while local channel TDM will host the other two events. Their broadcast plan and signal transmission were all in place.

Manuel Silverio expressed his satisfaction with the technical aspects of the CCTV operation, as the Games will be shown on Channels 4, 5 and 9. Channel 9 is CCTV's international channel, through which the Games have the potential to reach 90 per cent of the world's population. He said he was very confident that the CCTV coverage of the 4th East Asian Games would be a big success.

The signing ceremony of the Agreement of Memorandum between the Macau Weather Bureau and the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) was held on 13 September at MEAGOC Headquarters. The agreement will enhance the preparation and the hosting of the Games because it guarantees professional meteorological analysis and specific technical data for the outdoor competitions.

The ceremony took place in the afternoon, when the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silvério, signed the memorandum with the Director of the Macau Weather Bureau, Fong Soi Kun. The bureau will provide full support and meteorological service through the renewed official website of the 4th East Asian Games. Climate, meteorological data, weather topics, air quality and weather forecasts will be displayed on the website. Meanwhile, the bureau will also provide an alarm or signal when bad weather approaches to ensure the safety of all events and the success of the 4th East Asian Games.

Manuel Silvério expressed gratitude to the Macau SAR government and all departments for their full support and cooperation. He stressed that a detailed and up-to-the-minute weather forecast, together with the meteorological data, would be a key addition and service for the 4th East Asian Games. Under the professional, technical support of the bureau, MEAGOC believes that with the relevant information provided in advance, it will aid the hosting of the Games and enable organisers to make contingency plans and arrangements.

Manuel Silvério also stressed that MEAGOC would continue to establish contacts with various organisations for cooperation to host the 4th East Asian Games in less than 50 days.

MEAGOC Chairman of the Board of Directors Manuel Silvério signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Macau Jockey Club on 14 September, officially appointing the Macau Jockey Club as the authorized agent of the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and all 17 sports events tickets in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The signing ceremony was held in Hong Kong on 14 September. Manuel Silvério and Vice chairperson of Macau Jockey Club House Angela Leung signed the Cooperation Agreement on the principal of friendly cooperation and mutual benefit. As MEAGOC's authorized ticket agent in the Hong Kong SAR, Macau Jockey Club will assist in the sales of tickets as well as the promotion of the Games in Hong Kong. Besides, Macau Jockey Club will broadcast the promotional clip of the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games during their television promotion airtime on the TV channels, namely Cable TV Channel 19 and Lotus.

During his speech, Manuel Silvério expressed the pleasure of having Macau Jockey Club as one of MEAGOC cooperation partners. He sincerely invite Hong Kong spectators to witness every exciting moment in the Games and experience Macau after its inclusion in UNESCO's List of World Heritage. Moreover, one of the matches to be held on the 18th September at Macau Jockey Club is named "Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Cup". Manuel Silvério believes that mutual benefits and win-win scenarios will be achieved through this cooperation.

Updated: 2005-09-16 15:00

Over 120,000 tickets have been booked for the forthcoming 4th East Asian Games to be held in Macao, organizers said here on Friday.

Cindy Lee, a media official of the organizing committee, told Xinhua through telephone that the tickets sold are worth over 11 million patacas (1.375 million US dollars).

Lee said the tickets sold are mainly from the hot events as soccer matches.

There are a total of 400,000 tickets for the Games and the organizers are in a hard bid to promote the selling, said Lee.

China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macao, the United States Pacific Island of Guam, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia will contest in the Games scheduled for October.

The Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) held a training course for Wushu referees and staff at the IPM Mulitsport Pavilion on 15 September.

A total of 60 people from the Wushu organisation and volunteers participated in the course. The instructors were Zhou Jinbiao and Gan Xiaobing from the international Wushu association, and they passed on their knowledge and experience to the referees and staff on how to manage a championship. A Director of MEAGOC, Wallis O, explained how the Wushu tournament of the East Asian Games would work, and allocated specific functions to the staff. The President of the Executive Council of the Macau Wushu Association, Chan Weng Kit, and vice president Lei Man Iam encouraged participants to get involved in the 4th East Asian Games.

The signing ceremony of Fuji Xerox Ltd joining the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) Sponsorship Programme was hosted on 15 September at MEAGOC Headquarters. Through this programme, Fuji Xerox will provide materials support for various equipment.

The ceremony took place in the afternoon. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silvério, signed the sponsorship programme with the branch manager of Macau Operations of Fuji Xerox (HK) Limited, Leo Tsang. Through this programme, competition departments, media service and hospitality will be able to enjoy the latest products of Fuji Xerox, including photocopiers, printers, scanners and fax machines, during the Games period.

Apart from being able to call on such expert services, it is also an opportunity for MEAGOC to further enhance the awareness and recognition of the East Asian Games by working with such a renowned international brand. The plaque was unveiled by both parties after the signing ceremony.

Guests who attended the ceremony included: Ms. Hong Wai, Government delegate of the Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee, Mr. Eddie Laam, President of the East Asian Games Association, Ms. Anne Li, Account Manager of Business Services of Macau Operations of Fuji Xerox (HK) Limited, Mr. Pau Ma Chong, Mr. Van Kuan Lok and Frederico Nolasco da Silva, Macau 4th East Asian Games Consultative Council Members, Mr. João Ribeiro, Chief Operating Officer of MEAGOC.

A press conference was held on 15 September at MEAGOC headquarters to announce details of the 17-18 September joint test events. The two-day tests aim to ensure the coordination of different venues, information technology and administration of the 14 sport programmes between various departments.

In order to enhance the practical operations of various departments and give experience to the volunteers, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, said that 14 East Asian Games sports would be tested in 11 venues at the three competition zones. By doing this, MEAGOC can prepare for the peak periods and identify potential problem areas during the Games. Around 3,600 staff, volunteers and other officers would be involved, making it the largest deployment of human resources in the history of the test events. He stressed the four key elements of the test events: the flow of information, the operation of venues and facilities, the compatibility between competition and information technology, and the cooperation between staff and volunteers. Staff from different departments of the organising committee would gain valuable experience through this rehearsal and prepare them for the 4th East Asian Games 43 days later, said Mr. Silverio.

Director of MEAGOC, Wallis O, introduced the competition arrangements of the three venues. She indicated that the flow of the competition was the main purpose of the test events, and described the earlier individual tests as the foundation for a grander scale of operation.

In the information technology aspects, Mr. Ung Hoi Ian said that the management of the scoring system and the distribution of results was a major requirement. The organising committee will test the speed and output of data through the management of the scoring system to ensure that it can immediately and accurately deliver to three major media centres, the official website, large-sized LED, commentator's rooms and TV broadcast subtitle system. The weekend programme would fully test the operation of the systems and of the relevant departments, providing a thorough overall test before the 4th East Asian Games, he said.

In the two days of test events, Basketball, Wushu, Hockey, Dragon boat, Aquatics, Weightlifting, Gymnastics, Karate-do, Shooting, Rowing, Athletics, Dance sport, Taekwondo and Football will all be featured.

MEAGOC signed a Cooperation Agreement with the China Daily Hong Kong edition at MEAGOC Headquarters on 19 September. The China Daily Hong Kong edition will begin to publish news of the 4th East Asian Games from 29 September in their English-language newspaper.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silvério, signed the Cooperation Agreement with the China Daily Hong Kong edition, represented by Acting Editor-in-Chief Zhi Renzhong. The China Daily Hong Kong edition will publish a newsletter in its role as the Authoritative English Press of the 4th East Asian Games with a total of 35 issues from 29 September to 7 November, with the space dedicated to the event increasing significantly from 26 October. The content of the newsletter will include introducing the East Asian Games and its history, venues, ticketing, volunteer activities, athlete profiles, interviews and information related to Macau's tourism.

The issues will be released in hotels and athletes' accommodation.

The Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) held 14 test events on the weekend of September 17-18. Seven sports were featured simultaneously on Saturday and the flow of information and the event administration proved to be successful.

On the second day, the rowing test was cancelled due to thunder and the typhoon warning, but the rest were completed successfully.

Being the key element of the test events, the Games Information Diffusion System (GIDS) and various data such as the medal table, athletes' name list and results successfully arrived at the Media Centre, commentator's room and LED. The test events ensured the smooth management of the scoring system in all venues, including the collection and distribution of information. Although the GIDS met with minor technical problems in the early stages, after some adjustments and repair the system was soon retrieved.

The test events produced fine results in every aspect regarding the flow of the competition. Staff operation and competition timing were all under control, and the earlier specific training of volunteers and staff provided by MEAGOC produced a very positive effect.

In addition, MEAGOC announced the cancellation of the rowing test events, due to be held at 10am on Sunday, due to the typhoon and thunder warning.

The Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee held two days of tests on 17-18 September. The tests were completed on 18 September, but the rowing event was cancelled due to the typhoon and thunder warning. The other seven events progressed smoothly: karate-do, taekwondo, aquatics, athletics, football, dance sport and shooting.

Chairman of MEAGOC Manuel Silvério was satisfied with the results of the test events. The flow of the competition and the switch from football to athletics provided effective and worthwhile experience through the test events. Basically, the Games Information Diffusion System (GIDS) went smoothly, and the East Asian Games Medical Committee provided a group to organise a control centre, coordinate medical services and equip a car for the medical team. Apart from the medical committee group, the participating members were the Red Cross, M.U.S.T Health Care Team and volunteers. In addition, the spirit and enthusiasm of the volunteers was not affected in spite of the bad weather and the public holiday, and they devoted their very best efforts in the test events.

MACAO, Sept. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Liu Xiang, China's trump card intrack and field, is to compete in the forthcoming Fourth East Asian Games to be held in Macao, organizers said here on Saturday.

Manuel Silverio, head of the organizers, told a press conference that 1,920 athletes and 761 officials from nine countries and regions have been enlisted to attend the sports event.

Liu Xiang, the Olympic gold medalist in men's 110-meter hurdle, and a number of other fellow champions are to help boost the status of the Fourth East Asian Games, Silverio said.

China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macao, the United States Pacific Island of Guam, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia will attend the Games scheduled for October. Enditem

The Opening Ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games will be held at 20:00 on October 29 at the Macau Stadium. In this grand activity, a fabulous show will definitely impress the audience with its elaborate programs and performance.

MEAGOC held a press conference on September 22 to introduce the arrangement of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The Opening Ceremony will start at 20:00 on October 29 at the Macau Stadium, and, the Closing Ceremony will start at 20:00 on November 6 at the Arena of the Macau East Asian Games Dome. Spectators need to arrive 1.5 hours before.

Manuel Silvério, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, introduced related information about the Games. "China's Vice Premier, Wu Yi, will be the guest of honour, and the Chief Executive of Macau SAR, Edmund Ho Hau Wah, will light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony," said Manuel Silvério.

Lu Jiankang, President of Beijing BeiAo Grand Culture & Sports Events Co. Ltd., introduced the program of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. "The 4th East Asian Games will be the first multi-sports event in Macau, and a unique and creative performance will show the history of Macau and the development into a modern city after the creation of the SAR. All the preparations for the Opening Ceremony will be complete by October 20," said Mr. Lu.

Eric Chau Ka Lai, Director of MEAGOC, introduced the preparation about the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. "It will be the opening of the first large-scale multi-sports event held in Macau, and the first time a cauldron will be lit in Macau Stadium," said Eric Chau.

He explained that the Opening Ceremony would be in three parts ¡V a pre-show performance, the official ceremony with 3,000 athletes and officials from nine countries and regions, and the cultural performance, entitled "Light of East Asia - Symphonic Poem of Macau". This story would be in five chapters, he said, and would feature 8,000 volunteers, mostly from local schools.

Peter Ung Hoi Ian, Director of MEAGOC, introduced the 2,000 Patacas commemorative ticket package. "It will entitle the purchaser of the ticket to have a seat near the VIP area, and the package includes a commemorative coin, a certificate, a set of stamps and a book," said Peter Ung.

He said that 15,722 tickets were available for the Opening Ceremony, and 57 per cent, or about 9,000, had been sold, leaving 6,632. A number of corporate boxes are available, and all details can be found on the official website (www.east-asian-games2005.com).

In order to take a look at the colourful scenes awaiting spectators at the Opening Ceremony, MEAGOC arranged a tour of decorated floats and a rehearsal involving several schools.

The ceremonies will be featured extensively on TV, led by host broadcaster CCTV and including TDM, TVB, DPR Korea TV and Korea TV.

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The deadline of the accreditation for the sport delegations was on September 20. 2,681 members from 9 NOCs, including 1,920 athletes and 761 officials, will participate in the Games in Macau. 62 of these athletes have gained medals in the East Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympics, creating fierce competition in the 17 sports.

A press conference was held on September 24 at MEAGOC's Headquarters. Manuel Silvério, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Bruno Nunes, Company Secretary & Coordinator of Legal, Linguistic Services and Accreditation Department, and Wallis O Lam, Director of Macau Peninsula, introduced the accreditation of the sports delegations.

"In this edition of the East Asian Games, athletes including Olympic Champion Liu Xiang, Jia Zhanbo, Luo Xuejuan, Guo Jingjing, Li Ting, who have gained medals in the East Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympics will participate. Regarding the accreditation, on average, this edition of the East Asian Games has the bigger figure of participants when compared with the number of NOCs." said Manuel Silvério. He also expected Macau can get the good result and gain most number of medals in East Asian Games history.

Bruno Nunes said that MEAGOC would be accrediting 7,999 participants, 21,140 operation staff and 2,515 security officers. The accreditation centre at the Macau East Asian Games Dome will open at the beginning of October.

Wallis O said that the fourth East Asian Games would provide a high level of competition and wide involvement of the public. The schedule has been arranged so people can watch the most-anticipated sports at weekends, for example the basketball finals, and in the evenings, such as gymnastics.

HONG KONG, Sept. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Hong Kong will send its largest ever delegation to next month's East Asian Games in Macao, officials said here on Thursday.

Led by Chef de Mission Vivien Fung, Hong Kong delegation boasts more than 220 participants, including a total of 168 athletes who will participate in 14 events of the games, slated from October 29to November 6.

The 14 events include aquatics, athletics, basketball, dance sport, dragon boat, football, gymnastics, hockey, karate, rowing, shooting, tenpin bowling, tennis and wushu.

Hong Kong, hosts of the next East Asian Games in 2009, is looking forward to great performances as well as organizing experience in the upcoming Games.

"From Macao, we will bring back not just medals, glory and goodwill but also the pennant symbolizing our turn to stage the next East Asian Games, " said Hon. Timothy Fok, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China at a Flag Presentation Ceremony on Thursday afternoon.

"We will send the largest and the most competitive contingent we even fielded to Macao as we intend to send a potent message that we intend to do well, do so in style and do Hong Kong proud."

Hong Kong, which had covered the past three East Asian Games, claimed 15 medals, including three golds, from the third Games in Osaka, Japan in 2001.

The Macau East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) will hand out from 27 September flags of the Games to all Macau residents in order to spread the message about the East Asian Games and celebrate the upcoming multisport event.

MEAGOC counts on everyone¡¦s participation. Hang your flag attractively in your home or car. The flags will be available at 9:00am in the following venues: IPM Multisport Pavilion, Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, Macau 4th East Asian Games Youth Centre, Macau Stadium, Macau East Asian Games Dome and Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Mobilise yourself to spread the Macau 4th East Asian Games to others!

September 29, there are 30 days left to the 4th East Asian Games. To celebrate this landmark day, MEAGOC will gather the power of the Macau people to host the "Flame of the Future" Torch Relay and Dedication Pledge for the East Asian Games activities. Several top local athletes who will serve as torch bearers, Consultative Council members, delegates of all sponsors and partners, volunteers, artists in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Macau 2005, 4th East Asian Games and staff of MEAGOC will come together and pledge to work hard for the success of the East Asian Games.

The starting point of the torch relay will be the headquarters of the government of Macau SAR. There are 9 relay points along the route which will pass by Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Macau Tower, Sai Van Bridge, East Asian Games Road and Stadium Road, before the torch reaches Macau Stadium. 14 local sports associations will send their athletes to be torch-bearers. They are Cheung Pui Si (karate-do), Macau Dragon Boat Team, Chao Man Kit (rowing), Lao Hei Meng (swimming), Au Chi Kun and Sou Chon Kin (athletics), Hoi Chong Kit (hockey), Chong Kun Kan (football), Chau Le Man (bowling), Chan Chi Neng (tennis), Ieong Su Kan (dance Sport), Xu Wai (gymnastics), Leong Chi Seng (basketball), Wong Peng Kun (shooting) and Han Jing (wushu).

There is a special relay point in Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre when the torch will be escorted on the lake by the dragon boat team. It shows that all Macau athletes support the 4th East Asian Games. Finally the torch will be delivered to Macau Stadium for a flame storage ceremony. We welcome you to witness the 30 days countdown and to join the dedication pledge.

In order to participate in the 1st Asian Indoor Games, a Macau Sports Delegation led by Manuel Silvério and his assistant, Frederico da Silva, are attending the Chef de Mission meeting in Thailand. Other members of the delegation include Wong Wai Lap, the Chairman of the Medical Committee of the East Asian Games Association (EAGA), and staff from the secretarial department of the Macau Olympic Committee (MOC).

On September 26, members of the Macau delegation, including Manuel Silverio, head of the delegation and 1st vice president of the MOC, Frederico da Silva, assistant delegation head and treasurer of the MOC, and Wong Wai Lap attended the Chef de Mission meeting and heard the presentation of different departments of the Bangkok 1st Asian Indoor Games Organising Committee (BAIGOC). As the host city of the next Asian Indoor Games, the Macau delegation met with the department responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1st Asian Indoor Games. In the closing ceremony, delegates from Macau will receive the symbolic flame from Thailand and also the flag, officially marking the passing of responsibility to Macau to organise the next Asian Indoor Games. After that, an 8 to 10-minute cultural performance will provide Macau with the opportunity to promote the image of the host city and the 2nd Asian Indoor Games during the closing ceremony. Furthermore, during the meeting BAIGOC distributed the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Anti-Doping Guidelines for the 1st Asian Indoor Games. They also distributed the request forms for treatment medication exemption. This form has to be returned 21 days before the start of the Games to inform authorities which medicines an athlete is taking.

The delegation also witnessed the drawing of lots for the Futsal event of the 1st Asian Indoor Games. Macau is in Group A with China and Iran. The delegation visited the Indoor Athletics Stadium in Pattaya after the meeting.

The 1st Asian Indoor Games will take place from November 12 to 19 in Thailand. The 8-day Games include 9 sports and 121 events. There are indoor athletics, 25-m short-course swimming, extreme sports, futsal, dance sports, aerobics, Muay, indoor cycling and hoop takraw. Macau will participate in all sports expect hoop takraw.

September 29, there are 30 days left to the 4th East Asian Games. To celebrate this landmark day, MEAGOC gathered the power of the Macau people to host the "Flame of the Future" Torch Relay and Dedication Pledge for the East Asian Games. 27 athletes from 14 local sports associations served as torch bearers along the 6.5-km route, and they were joined in a crowd of 10,000 at Macau Stadium by Consultative Council members, sponsors, partners, volunteers, performers in the opening and closing ceremonies and MEAGOC staff. Everyone pledged to work hard for the success of the East Asian Games.

The torch relay started at 5:00PM. The starting point was the headquarters of the government of Macau SAR. There were 9 relay points along the route, which passed by Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Macau Tower, Sai Van Bridge, East Asian Games Road and Stadium Road, before the torch reached Macau Stadium. 14 local sports associations sent their athletes to be torch-bearers. They were Cheung Pui Si (karate-do), 13 members of the Macau Dragon Boat Team (Iao Chong Wa as the bearer), Chao Man Kit (rowing), Lao Hei Meng (swimming), Au Chi Kun and Sou Chon Kin (athletics), Hoi Chong Kit (hockey), Chong Kun Kan (football), Chau Le Man (bowling), Chan Chi Neng (tennis), Ieong Su Kan (dance Sport), Zhang Bin (gymnastics), Leong Chi Seng (basketball), Wong Peng Kun (shooting) and Han Jing (wushu).

The torch was lit by Chief Executive of Macau SAR Edmund Ho Hau Wa in front of the government headquarters, where Xu Ze, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau SAR, and Wan Yongxiang, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People¡¦s Republic of China in Macau SAR, were the special guests. Ho Hau Wa handed over the torch to the first bearer, Cheung Pui Si. The torch was delivered by her and reached the Nam Van Lake.

There was a special relay point in Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre when the torch was escorted on the lake by the dragon boat team. It shows that all Macau athletes support the 4th East Asian Games. Finally the torch was delivered to Macau Stadium by Han Jing and was received by the chairman of the board of the directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silvério, for the flame storage ceremony. Led by Manuel Silvério, over 10,000 people joined the dedication pledge and promised to operate the 4th East Asian Games with their utmost efforts and to serve the Games wholeheartedly. Afterwards Edmund Ho Hau Wa gave a short speech to thank all 10,000 people for their hard work and encouraged them to keep their spirits in the next 30 days to host a successful 4th East Asian Games. Here is the full message:
"Guests and volunteers, I¡¦m very happy to be here today at the torch relay and the solemn pledge. I would like to say a few words. The 4th East Asian Games represents an important achievement for Macau sports development.
To all staff involved in the Games, for their total commitment and sacrifice, I truly pay my deepest appreciation and respect.
I hope, with one month to the Games, all of you may carry on the great effort you have been dedicating in the organisation of the East Asian Games. This fills us with pride. Let us not disappoint the Chinese population or the Central Government, for all their support. Likewise we should uphold the expectations of the participating East Asian countries and regions. Thank you very much".

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By Unus Alladin
For CNN

MACAU, China (CNN) -- Supporters call it the biggest event in Macau in the nearly 500 years since Portuguese settlers first moved into the enclave on the southeast coastline of China.

And the numbers surrounding the 2005 East Asian Games would seem to support that claim. Almost 2,000 athletes and 800 officials will converge on this port city to take part in the fourth edition of the games, to be held from October 29 to November 6.

After nine years of hard work, massive construction of the various venues and a budget that seemed to have been stretched to the limit, Macau's sports community says it is ready to open its doors to stage one of the most important sporting events in the region.

About 500,000 visitors -- mainly from mainland China -- are expected to flock to Macau to watch the events.

"We're ready to host the East Asian Games, and after years of hard work and preparation, we believe we will host a games people will remember," declared Manuel Silverio, chairman of the East Asian Games organizing committee in Macau.

What Macau is hosting is considered possibly the third most important multi-sports event in Asia, after the Olympics and the Asian Games. Teams from nine countries or regions are taking part in the competition. The big three -- China, Japan and South Korea -- will be joined by North Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Taiwan and Guam.

What makes the East Asian Games distinctive from the much larger Asian Games is that the smaller teams such as Mongolia and Guam have a chance of winning medals.

Additionally, many of the events are unique to the East Asian Games. Competition will be held in events such as "dance sport" and "dragon boat racing," which are not medal sports at either the larger Asian Games, or the Olympics.

The East Asian Games will be completed in almost half the time -- nine days -- than the two-plus weeks needed for the Asian Games and the Olympics, making it less grueling for athletes, spectators and journalists.

State-of-the-art facilities

Organizers have all but completed building the stadiums and venues for the 17 sports and 234 events, with 11 venues having been built from scratch.

Finishing touches were being applied on some of the venues in September, but organizers were confident all facilities would be ready by mid-October.

The Macau Dome will be the center piece. Costing more than 600 million patacas ($75 million), the dome is the most modern and technically advanced structure in Macau since the Macau Tower, the tallest structure in the city.

The 8,000-seat Macau Dome is a three-story multipurpose complex with two separate indoor pavilions. The structure will host the closing ceremonies for the games and a number of sporting activities, including 10-pin bowling, athletics and gymnastics.

Another impressive facility is the new Olympic Aquatic Center, with a seating capacity of 1,500. The center boasts a diamond-vision screen, a 10-lane Olympic size pool and a fully adjustable diving pool measuring 25 meters by 25 meters.

All 11 venues are close to each other -- a big advantage for the spectators who want to see different competitions, and the journalists expected to cover the event.

A global stage

Local authorities say the timing of these East Asian Games is crucial for Macau, which became a Special Administrative Region after the Portuguese handover to China in 1999.

Macau, with a population of 440,000, is considered a small city by Asian standards. It has long been known as a center for seedy entertainment and casinos.

But the city has witnessed an economic boom, expressed not only in the growth of upscale casinos, but in the real estate market, as well.

The East Asian Games, its boosters say, will provide a chance to showcase Macau on an international stage. Such hopes are crucial for a city that has traditionally been in the shadow of nearby Hong Kong.

Macau sports officials quickly point out that by the time Hong Kong stages the next East Asian Games in 2009, Macau will have hosted three multi-sports events -- this year's East Asian Games; the inaugural Games of the Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees in 2006; and the second Indoor Asian Games in 2007.

Macau has grown in stature during the past few years and apart from the annual motor-racing Grand Prix, which celebrates its 52nd anniversary in November, the city has hosted the annual Macau international marathon, the Macau Golf Open and other world class tournaments.

Undeterred by the price tag

The effort to bring the 2005 East Asian Games to Macau has come at a cost.

A few years ago the Games' budget was estimated to be around 2 billion patacas (around $250 million), but latest estimates put that figure closer to 5 billion patacas ($625 million).

The Macau government has never revealed its budget, probably due to the escalating costs of staging the event. No one has questioned the government for its growing expenditure even though its budget has ballooned to more than twice its original estimates.

Still, local authorities say the cost of the East Asian Games can be recouped from taxes on the gambling industry.

Macau's residents also have shown their enthusiasm to the massive project, too. More than 8,000 people have committed themselves to work at the games, although organizers are confident the number of volunteers will grow to 12,000 once the games begin.

What may be most amazing is that Macau is even hosting the games.

The city never participated in the Olympic Games before its handover to China in 1999. It is not an IOC member, even though nearby Hong Kong, which the British turned over to China in 1997, has been an Olympic member since 1952.

But that doesn't deter Macau sporting boosters such as Silverio.

"Our goal is to become an IOC member. This is our next goal," Silverio said.

The organising committee of the fourth Macau East Asian Games (MEAGOC) celebrated a sweet deal -- and a special sponsorship contract -- on Tuesday, October 4, with Choi Heong Yuen Bakery (Macau).

The bakery will supply 37,000 mini almond cakes for spectators at the opening ceremony on October 29 and the closing ceremony on November 6.

In a specially designed box featuring the Games mascot "Pak Pak", the cakes will be given free of charge as part of an audience kit for ticket-holders. They will not be for sale.

The contract was signed by Manuel Silvério, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, and Alan Wong Yeuk Lai, Managing Director of Choi Heong Yuen Bakery (Macau).

The Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) celebrated another sponsorship contract on Thursday, October 6, this time with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). ICBC now becomes the official bank of the Games.

The signing ceremony was performed by the chairman of the board of directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, and the general manager of ICBC, Shen Xiaoqi.
ICBC is the biggest commercial banking institution in China in the sector of gross selling, retail selling, mortgages, electronic banking transactions, liquidation and asset management.
It has more than 21,000 organisations on the Chinese continent and more than 100 branches outside China, as well as 1,000 agencies spread to the four corners of the world.

These outlets serve more than 800 corporate accounts and more than 100 million private customers, and services over 110 million credit card owners.
It will now be possible to access ICBC via the official website of the East Asian Games (www.east-asian-games2005.com), and during the Games the bank will have kiosks at Macau Stadium and Macau East Asian Games Dome.
The bank's logo will also be included in the official souvenir programme of the opening and closing ceremony, the daily newsletter, official report and other print materials.

Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has teamed up with the organising committee of the Macau East Asian Games (MEAGOC) in an eye-catching promotion full of fizz and and sparkle.Coca-Cola will produce 1 million drinks cans in three designs featuring the mascot of the East Asian Games, Pak Pak, playing football, rowing a dragon boat and weightlifting.

As well as being collector's items, the cans can be worth prizes if the ring-pull is stamped inside with an East Asian Games logo. Pak Pak magnets, watches and gold coins are among the prizes on offer, which must be claimed from outlets of the Kong Seng communications company.

The special Coca-Cola cans were unveiled at a ceremony at MEAGOC headquarters on Thursday afternoon, October 6, in the presence of the chairman of the board of directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio; Jonathan Lam, general manager of Coca-Cola Beverage Co. Ltd (MCCB); Robert Bing, regional manager of Coca-Cola China Ltd covering Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; and Hugh Li, managing director of MCCB.

Mr. Lam presented his fellow guests with souvenir medals to mark the partnership, while everyone in attendance toasted the deal -- with cans of Coca-Cola, naturally.

Presided over by the Chief Executive of Macau SAR, Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the inauguration ceremony of the Tennis Academy, Bowling Centre and Sports Field and Pavilion at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) took place on Tuesday, October 11, at the COTAI Sports Complex.

The three venues came on line 18 days before the opening ceremony on October 29, and completed the infrastructure for the 17 sports.

As well as the Chief Executive, the other VIP guests were Wang Jinxiang, Deputy Director of Liaison Office of the PRC in Macau; Huang Songfu, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in Macau; Fernando Chiu Sai On, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Ao Man Long, Secretary for Transportation and Public Works; Manuel Silverio, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC; Vong Iao Lek, Acting President of Sports Development Board; Liu Chak Wan, Chancellor of Macau University of Science and Technology; Vivien Fung, honorary president of the Asian Bowling Federation; Fong Wun Man, Chairman of Macau Bowling Association; Tang Kwan Ming, Vice President of Macau Tennis Association; Carlos Marreiros, Director of East and West Projects Design Ltd; Eddie Wong Yue Kai, Director of Gabinete de Arquitectura Eddie Wong Limitada; Antonio Ramos, Engineer of Companhia de Construcao e Engenharia Omas Limitada; Ho Meng Fai, Managing Director of San Meng Fai Engineering and Construction Company Ltd; and Rui Jorge da Silva Cernadas, Managing Director of Profabril Asiaconsult Lda.

After a Catholic and Buddhist blessing service, the VIPs cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the official opening of the three venues, and the Chief Executive performed the eye-dotting ceremony on the dragon.

Manuel Silverio said: "The three venues inaugurated today by Edmund Ho are high-quality installations fitted with the highest standard of international equipment.

"All of them have VIP and broadcasting rooms, and provide excellent support to develop Macau in regional sports, culture and seminars.

"The Bowling Centre is a very high standard venue to host international competitions, and has four lanes reserved for children and a covered parking area for 99 cars. Not only will it be a sports venue, but also an entertainment centre for the youth of Macau."

The sports field at MUST covers an area of 44,800 sq metres, has a stand with a capacity of 1,775 seats, a pitch measuring 105 X 68 metres, and an eight-lane, 400-metre Tartan track. The venue is capable of staging football and athletics, but will host only football preliminary round games during the East Asian Games.

The Tennis Academy has a centre court with a seating capacity of 827, eight outside courts, and will stage the tennis and soft tennis events with a total of 11 gold medals.

Adjacent to the Tennis Academy is the Bowling Centre, with 24 lanes, 300 temporary seats and three squash courts, a restaurant, a coffee shop and commercial area. There will be 12 gold medals in bowling.

Microsoft Hong Kong Limited signed up as an East Asian Games official supplier on Wednesday, October 12, at MEAGOC headquarters in Taipa.

The agreement was signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, and Microsoft's Regional Director for Greater China, Alexander Huang, ensuring another international brand is associated with the East Asian Games.

"The East Asian Games represents an important channel to broadcast Macau to the world," said Manuel Silverio, adding that IT development makes an important contribution to the modernisation of Macao.
"Association with companies within this sector will have benefits beyond the Games for the different departments and staff involved," he said.

The Macau 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) held a signing ceremony on Wednesday, October 12, with the Macau Fisherman's Wharf to organise two cultural exchange nights during the Games. The two events will serve to create a colourful and informal welcome party for all athletes and visitors.

They will be held on November 1 and November 2 in the Roman Amphitheatre of the Fisherman's Wharf, starting at 8pm and running for around two hours.

The agreement was signed by Manuel Silverio, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, and David Chow, Chief Executive Officer of Macau Fisherman's Wharf.\par

"This is a great opportunity to gather countries and regions from this geographical area in Macau, and, through the East Asian Games, to present a cultural exchange between them, especially because they are our special visitors," said Manuel Silverio.
"We will also reserve some nights for the youth to get together and strengthen their friendship. The Macau population in general will have a wonderful opportunity to get to know the international athletes closely through sport and music."

In accordance with the Olympic Spirit, the East Asian Games will, like all other multi-sports events, provide a platform for friendship and understanding between the youth of the region.

All nine countries and regions taking part in the Games will put on a performance of traditional music or dance, lasting between 10 and 15 minutes on each night.

There will be 3,000 tickets available per show, free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, and athletes and members of the public will be encouraged to participate.

The Roman Amphitheatre will provide a spectacular setting for the two shows, with a roofed stage, advanced lighting and audio systems and a professional production team.
Tickets are available from the following outlets:
MEAGOC headquarters, 185-195, Rua do Desporto, Taipa, Macau, from October 24-28, 9am to 5.45pm.
CTM Nam Van branch, Rua do Dr Pedro Jose Lobo Edf. Kam Loi, No. 22, from October 24-November 2, 10.30am to 7.30pm.
Office of Macau Fisherman's Wharf, 22nd Floor, Macau Landmark, 555, Avenida da Amizade, from October 24 to November 2, 10am to 7pm, closed Saturday and Sunday)

The Macau 2005 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee (MEAGOC) signed a mineral water sales contract with the Este Da Asia Desenvolvimento Comercial Limitada on October 13.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silvério, and the Managing Director of Este Da Asia Desenvolvimento Comercial Limitada, Mr. Charles Chen, signed the contract. MEAGOC will purchase 15,480 boxes of Jialinshan Natural Mineral Water during the Games period, and Este Da Asia Desenvolvimento Comercial Limitada will supply 5,000 boxes in return.

After signing the sponsorship agreement, Este Da Asia Desenvolvimento Comercial Limitada will deliver the high-quality natural mineral water to all East Asian Games venues in batches for our honorable guests, staff and athletes, as well as the media during the Games period.

The Signing Ceremony for providing insurance and risk services for the Macau 4th East Asian Games from China Insurance (Macau) Company Limited was held at MEAGOC Headquarters on October 13.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silvério, the Managing Director of China Insurance (Macau) Company Limited, Mr. Jiang Yi Dao, and Marsh Insurance Broker (Macau) Limited General Manager Mr. George Wu signed the agreement.

Marsh Insurance Broker (Macau) Limited will provide insurance and risk services which include property, public liability and participants¡¦ accident and medical coverage during the Games period, from October 29 to November 6.

Marsh's General Manager, Mr. George Wu, said: "We are proud to be selected by MEAGOC to provide risk and insurance services for this prestigious event."

Marsh, which is particularly strong in covering large-scale global sports and entertainment events, was also named as insurance advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing last week.

Manuel Silvério explained that the signing of the contract mainly aimed to provide insurance services for the guests, committee, staff from different government departments, volunteers, athletes, managers and coaches. In order to ensure the East Asian Games will be staged successfully, insurance has been specifically purchased for around 7,000 volunteers who will perform in the Opening Ceremony at Macau Stadium on October 29.

The Overall Joint Test will be held for two consecutive days on October 15 and 16 in preparation for the Macau 4th East Asian Games. It aims to coordinate the cooperation between various departments and to imitate the actual flow and operation during the Games period in different situations. More then 1, 0000 people, including organizing committee staff and athletes, will participate in the two-day joint test event.

During the Overall Joint Test, different departments are highlighted, such as the Opening Ceremony, Security, Transportation, Competition, Information Technology, Medical Services, Anti-doping, Accommodation and Meals, Ticketing as well as the Media Center.

Professional performers and students for the Opening Ceremony will be spilt into two day for the test event. Since there will be lots of participants going in and out of the venues during the rehearsal, the public access system of the surrounding area and the flow control will also be tested. Aside from managing and directing the flow control through the Control Center, the Security department will also make good use of this opportunity to test the metal detector.

Regarding transportation, shuttle buses will be arranged to test their specifically-designed Games routes under the cooperation of the China-Macau Autosports Club and the Public Transportation department. The organizing committee will also stage an overall transportation test before the hosting of the Games, and a selection of drivers will be arranged to test the VIP limousine service.

In terms of sports events, the Competition Departments of the three complexes will test 16 sports involving 57 events, with more than 2,900 people participating in the tests. They will include technology representatives, volunteers, referees, association members and athletes. The course of the 20-kilometer walk, the flow of the material placed on the public path and the decathlon will be tested as well. While in the COTAI International Sports Complex, all facilities of the Gymnasium will be tested. Seven events in men's and women's shooting will be arranged in the Macau International Shooting Range, and 24 bowling alleys in the Bowling Centre will be used together. Volunteers and staff can fully practice the entire flow and the operation of the competition to ensure the success of the Games.

Regarding Information Technology, the Games Information Diffusion System (GIDS) of seven events will be tested in six venues: IPM Multisport Pavilion, Macau Forum, Macau Stadium and Pavilion, Macau Hockey Centre, Tennis Academy and Bowling Centre.

The medical control centre, serviced by 81 staff and established by the organizing committee, has been tested previously. Allocation and cooperation between staff, police, transportation and the ambulance service has also been tested. The Red Cross has sent three ambulances and 80 staff have been named on stand-by. The practice of transporting patients and integrating services provided by the Health Centers at Tap Seac and Ocean Gardens has also been tested.

At the same time, the Organizing Committee will arrange a trial on anti-drug testing in eight venues. In order to make sure the sports events can take place in a fair environment and with a level playing field for all, staff will carry out a mock anti-drug test on athletes according to guidelines. In order to ensure the competition will proceed successfully, this Overall Joint Test will enable the competition departments and the volunteers to become familiar with the overall flow as well as the practical operation of the competition.

For the food and beverage aspect, it will mainly test the flow of the major dining hall and the distribution of lunch boxes.

Regarding tickets, the organizing committee has arranged ticket offices for the 4th East Asian Games at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, Macau Stadium and the Tennis Academy to simulate the administration of ticket sales at the door during the 4th East Asian Games.

Regarding Press services, staff have been allocated to one of three Press Centers located in Macau Peninsula (Press and Information Center), Taipa (Macau Stadium) and COTAI (Macau East Asian Games Dome). This will enable staff and volunteers to practice their duties. The Information Technology department will provide assistance to centralize the network between the three Press Centers, and test the pressure of the Games Information Diffusion System (GIDS) to ensure the smooth management of the scoring system in all venues, including the collection and distribution of information.

The two consecutive days Overall Joint Test will serve an important role for the 4th East Asian Games to be held 14 days later. As a result, the organizing committee will gain valuable experiences in order to hold the 4th East Asian Games successfully.

Less than two weeks from the opening of the biggest international multi-sports event ever organized in Macau, MEAGOC launched a joint test event over the weekend. Emphasis was put on the coordination and communication of various departments as well as the familiarization with individual duties. The first day of the test event ran smoothly.

The three competition zones tested eight sports -- karate-do, taekwondo, rowing, hockey, weightlifting, gymnastics, soft tennis and bowling ¡V in a 20-event program on the first day. The competition department gained valuable experience through the test events, especially at the newly established Tennis Academy and Bowling Centre.

Regarding information technology, a trial on the Games Information Diffusion System (GIDS), the timing and scoring system as well as the two data centres was made. Besides, the overall loading capacity of the three media centres was also tested, in which many people worked on line simultaneously at the media centre of the Macau Stadium. The speed of the broadband and photo upload as well as the stability of the GIDS were tested severely and passed with flying colours.

Regarding transportation, a general test was staged for the VIP limousine service and the shuttle buses along specifically-designed Games routes.

The Opening Ceremony, transportation, security and medical services were the focus of attention at a joint test weekend held by the organizers of the fourth East Asian Games on Saturday and Sunday.

Macau Stadium, which will stage the Opening Ceremony on October 29, was a hive of activity, as 2,500 volunteers took part in rehearsals. Although some 8,000 volunteers, mostly local high school students, have been involved in rehearsals for eight months, this was the biggest concentration in one place at one time.

The weekend was not only about the Opening Ceremony, however, as the massive logistics involved in staging a regional multi-sports event were also put to the test. By holding such a large-scale test involving key aspects of the Games, organisers could monitor the flow and the coordination of the various operations.

The transport service collected students at various times and places to deliver them to the main stadium for the Opening Ceremony practice, and it took 30 minutes for the 2,500 students to change into their costumes.

Regarding security, the 2,500 volunteers passed through metal detectors in 25 minutes before entering the stadium. From October 22, this procedure will be followed on a daily basis, and security officials will hold daily meetings and briefings to operate a 24-hour security service around the venues.

The medical services will be enlarged, and staff from Macau's main health centers will join the East Asian Games programme, without disrupting the normal health service for the local population. Medical professionals will be placed in the three major competition zones to provide expertise at all venues.

Seoul - North and South Korea officials plan to meet at the East Asian Games to map out plans to send a joint team to next year's Asian Games and the 2008 Olympics.

North Korea's Olympic committee chief Mun Jae-Duk proposed the meeting to coincide with the East Asian Games from October 29 to November 6 in Macau.

"Mun's proposal has been sent through an inter-Korean hot line," South Korean Olympic Committee spokesman Baek Sung-Il told AFP.

"In response, South Korea promised to send a five-member delegation for inter-Korean talks."

North Korea also proposed a joint march with South Korea at the opening ceremony of the East Asian Games.

The fourth East Asian Games brings together athletes from the two Koreas, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Guam and Japan.

In September, South and North Korean sports chiefs reached provisional agreement on fielding unified teams for next year's Asian Games at talks arranged by the Olympic Council of Asia in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The Koreas fielded unified teams for the World Table Tennis Championships and an international youth football competition in 1991.

They also have marched together five times in Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.

Peking Opera and the goods on the Games will be a few of the highlights of an upcoming monster bash in Macao.

The people of Macao and Eastern Asia will get an exclusive sneak peak of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and get a taste of China's capital through "Night of Beijing and Macao," an Olympics-promoting programme.

The festivities will be held in Macao from October 25 to November.

Organized by the Beijing Municipal Government, the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Organizing Committee of the East Asian Games, the event aims to foster cultural exchanges and introduce the 2008 Beijing Games. Officials called it "the largest-scale activity between two cities since the return of Macao."

With the Fourth East Asian Games to be opened in Macao, the "Night of Beijing and Macao" evening party and other Olympic promotional activities will serve as a platform for Beijing to show its preparations for the 2008 Olympics while the athletes and residents in Macao are expected to gain a deeper understanding of the Games.

"This is a long-expected opportunity for us to stage a program in Macao as they have been really helpful with our preparatory works for the Games," said Shao Shiwei, vice director of the media and communication department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG). "It's also a good chance to introduce the Olympic Games to the countries and regions in East Asia.

"What we want to display here in Macao is not only the sports but also the development of Beijing and its culture, as well as the other aspects."

The activities consist of four parts: the "Night of Beijing and Macao" evening party, the "New Beijing, Great Olympics" exhibition, a preparation report for the Beijing Games and a donation of Olympic-related books to local primary and middle schools.

The "Night of Beijing and Macao" evening party will take place over two days on October 30 and 31. The evening will feature Peking Opera, acrobatics and folk music performance.

"It will be a direct access for the people in East Asia to know about Beijing," said Wang Hui, director of Information Office of Beijing Municipality.

Source: China Daily

Macau held the flag-raising ceremony Wednesday in front of Macau Stadium to welcome the forthcoming 4th East Asian Games.
The 352-member Macau delegation doesn't have professional athletes and will compete in 16 events during the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 games with medal chances lying in in wushu, or martial arts, swimming and weightlifting.
"It's the first time for Macau to host such a big event. It's a pride for Macau people, and we are confident of making it the most successful East Asian Games ever. Let more people know Macau through the games," said Dr. Fernanando Chui Sai On, secretary of social affairs and culture of Macau SAR government.
The games will draw about 2,000 athletes from China, Japan, South Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Guam, Hong Kong of China, Macau of China and Chinese Taipei.

To create more opportunities for greater sports and cultural exchanges among the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in the East Asian region, the idea of the East Asian Games was officially proposed at the First Assembly of the East Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) on September 15, 1991.

In November the same year, at the Second Co-ordination Meeting of the East Asian NOCs, the quadrennial East Asian Games were formally approved and the inauguration edition scheduled to be held in China in 1993.

At the Third Co-ordination Meeting of the East Asian NOCs held in Beijing on January 27, 1992, the Co-ordination Committee of the East Asian National Olympic Committees (EANOC) was officially established and its charter passed.

It was determined at this meeting that the First East Asian Games would be held in Shanghai, China, from May 9 to 18, 1993.

Later at the 6th EANOC Meeting held in Shanghai on May 17, 1993, EANOC was renamed to its present title, the East Asian Games Association (EAGA).

The National Olympic Committees (NOC) are the members of EAGA in the East Asian Zone as defined by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

These include the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Macao, Mongolia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei.

Associate member of EAGA is the NOC adjacent to East Asia that has been admitted following prior approval by the Council of EAGA. Guam is at present the only associate member.

The First East Asian Games were held in Shanghai, China from May 9 to 18, 1993. They include 12 sports: athletics, aquatics, football, basketball, badminton, gymnastics, weightlifting, judo, rowing, boxing, bowling and wushu, as well as one demonstration sport - soft tennis.

Delegations from the People's Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Macao participated in the games.

The Chinese team ranked first by winning 213 medals, including 105 gold, 74 silver and 34 bronze medals, followed by Japan (117 medals) and the Republic of Korea (91 medals). Macao won a bronze medal at the games.

The Second East Asian Games were held in Busan, the Republic of Korea from May 10 to 19, 1997.

They included 13 sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, basketball, boxing, football, gymnastics, judo, soft tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu, as well as one demonstration sport - rowing and one exhibition sport - bowling.

Delegations from the People's Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Guam and Macao took part in the games.

The Chinese team ranked first by winning 185 medals, including 62 gold, 59 silver and 64 bronze medals, followed by Japan (153 medals) and the Republic of Korea (134 medals). Macao won a bronze medal.

The Third East Asian Games were held in Osaka, Japan from May 19-27, 2001.

They included 15 sports: athletics, aquatics, basketball, bowling, boxing, football, gymnastics, handball, judo, soft tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu, as well as two demonstration sports - hockey and rowing.

Delegations from the People's Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mongolia, China's Macao Special Administrative Region, Guam and Australia (open participation) took part in the games.

The Chinese delegation ranked first by winning 191 medals, including 85 gold, 48 silver and 58 bronze medals. Also obtaining 191 medals, the Japanese team ranked second because their number of gold medals was 61.

Macao won a gold medal for the first time and it also obtained another three bronze medals.

Source: China Daily

For a small island in the Pacific Ocean, Guam may have no chance for a medal, but they do feel happy and relaxed to see their flag rising for the upcoming fourth East Asian Games Wednesday in Macao.

Gordon Chu, chef de mission of the Guam delegation, said to participate in the games is a chance for them to exchanges sports with other countries and regions.

"We cherish this opportunity, as our athletes have rare chance to compete with the rest of the world," said Chu.

"We may have little chance to win a medal but we feel happy and relaxed. We prefer to draw more experience from the games."

It's the third time for the small island to compete in the regional games as they send 13 athletes to four sports.

"Our sports foundation is week. Although we have a few good athletes, they are college students and cannot come here as it's school time.

"Most of our athletes this time are from high school, that's why we relaxed."

The East Asian Games will draw about 2,000 athletes from China, Japan, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Guam, Hong Kong of China, Macao of China and Chinese Taipei with 234 gold medals at stake.

Source: Xinhua

Olympic champions Liu Xiang and Luo Xuejuan will head the largest-ever Chinese team to compete at the East Asian Games in Macao, said the country's sports authority.

China will field a delegation of nearly 600 members at the regional multi-sport event, to be held from October 29 to November 6.

There will be 399 athletes, comprising 205 men and 194 women. They will enter all 17 sports featured at the games excluding karate-do.

The Chinese delegation will also include 11 Athens Olympic gold medallists, such as Liu Xiang, Luo Xuejuan, Guo Jingjing, Li Ting and Du Li, who will participate in the five sports of shooting, weightlifting, taekwondo, aquatics and athletics.

Xiao Tian, deputy chief of the Chinese delegation, said China has not set a specific target for the East Asian Games.

"We know little about our main rivals, Japan and the Republic of Korea, so I cannot say how many medals we can win," said Xiao at a news conference.

"But, of course, we will try our best," he added.

Xiao said the East Asian Games is the first large-scale international sports event held in Macao after it returned to the motherland in 1999.

After achieving remarkable results at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the Macao Games will be the first important international event that the Chinese delegation will participate in and it is a good opportunity for Chinese athletes to prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The 10th National Games of China closed on October 23 in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, just six days before the opening of the East Asian Games.

Xiao admitted that the two games are so close together, preventing athletes from giving their best in the later event.

"It is a tough challenge for us, nevertheless we have asked athletes to adapt their training plans," he said.

Despite the presence of 11 Athens Olympic gold medallists on the team, China has set its sights on the 2008 Olympics by fielding as many as 286 young athletes who have no international competition experience for the East Asian Games.

"We hope to see more young talented athletes emerge from the East Asian Games, just like Liu Xiang in 2001," said Xiao.

Liu, who claimed the men's 110-metre hurdles gold with a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds in Athens last year, made his name by winning his first major title at the last East Asian Games in Osaka.

More than 1,900 athletes from nine countries and regions are expected to compete at the Fourth East Asian Games. A total of 235 gold medals are up for grabs.

The East Asian Games are held every four years. The first three sessions were staged in Shanghai in China, Busan in the Republic of Korea and Osaka in Japan.

This year's event will comprise 17 sports, including aquatics athletics, basketball, bowling, dance sport, dragon boat, football, gymnastics, hockey, karate-do, rowing, shooting, soft tennis, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting and wushu.

More than 2,000 athletes and sports officials from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China's Macao Special Administrative Region, Chinese Taipei and Guam will participate in the East Asian Games.

Source: China Daily

Despite the fact that most of its athletes are hardly in their best shape following its quadrennial National Games, China, on back of 11 Athens Olympic gold medalists, is set to dominate the East Asian Games in Macao.

Diving diva Guo Jingjing and hurdles hero Liu Xiang will head the 399-athlete Chinese roster for the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 event, which has a total of 234 gold medals up for grabs in 17 sports.

China has dominated the East Asian Games since 1993, winning around half of the gold medals available at each of the previous editions.

With China recording its best-ever gold medal haul at last year 's Olympics in Athens -- 32 golds after the United States' 35, the Asian superpower will enjoy another gold medal harvest in Macao.

If anything works against China's performance, it is tiredness resulting from the 10th National Games, dubbed China's mini- Olympics, which concluded last Sunday.

Xiao Tian, deputy chief of the EAG Chinese delegation, admitted that the two games are so close in dates that many athletes cannot give their best shot in the later one.

"It is a tough challenge for us, nevertheless we have asked athletes to adapt their training plans to the needs," he said.

Even with unrivaled depth in sport in the region, China won't make light of its opposition and will fight to top the gold medal tally, said Xiao.

"We know little about our main rivals, Japan and South Korea, so I cannot say how many medals we can win," said Xiao.

"But, of course, we will try our best," he added.

China should dominate wushu, shooting, weightlifting, gymnastics and diving -- its traditional strong events. It should also show prowess in athletics, basketball and taekwondo.

Despite the presence of 11 Olympic champions on the team, China has set its sights on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by fielding as many as 286 young athletes who have no international competition experience.

"We hope to see more young talent surge from the East Asian Games, just like what Liu Xiang did in 2001," said Xiao.

Liu, who claimed the men's 110m hurdles gold with a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds in Athens last year, made his name by winning his first major title at last East Asian Games in Osaka.

More than 1,900 athletes from nine countries and regions are expected to compete at the 4th East Asian Games.

Source: Xinhua

The flag of the Macau Special Administrative Region was the first to be raised outside the Macau Stadium on Wednesday morning.
As athletes, coaches and officials of the 387-member host delegation gathered under a warm sun on a bright morning, the Macau flag was raised as the Macau Police Band played the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.

Fernando Chui Sai On, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, and the delegation's Chef de Mission, Ma Iao Hang, gave a speech to the athletes, before gifts were exchanged.
Dr Chui then went along the lines of the delegation to shake hands with the Macau team members present.

Later, in an official press conference, Mr. Ma promised that Macau would try their hardest to make the Games a success, and hoped it would be a prosperous medal return for the host city.

He also said he hoped Macau's athletes would enjoy the occasion with the representatives from the eight other NOCs, and form strong bonds of friendship and East Asian Games spirit.

There was a distinctly Chinese flavour to the Guam team when a delegation of just 14 athletes and officials were officially welcomed to the East Asian Games at a flag-raising ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.

Guam's Chef de Mission, Gordon T. C. Chu, was born in Guilin, Guangxi Province, grew up in Chinese Taipei, was educated in the United States and has lived on the tropical island of Guam for 33 years.

"We are very happy to be here in Macau to take part in the fourth East Asian Games," said Mr. Chu. "We are a very small delegation and will compete in four sports: bowling, swimming, taekwondo and karatedo".

"We are a very small country, with a population of 150,000, and we hope to learn a lot from competing in such a high-calibre Games.
The Guam delegation was welcomed at the flag-raising ceremony outside Macau Stadium by a member of the MEAGOC Consultative Committee, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.

She described Macau as an Athletes' Village in itself, as the maximum time needed to travel from one point to another was 30 minutes.
"We can assure you a safe and secure environment, and high-level competition as well as a rich cultural experience," she said.

The flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea joined those of Macau and Guam outside the Macau Stadium on Wednesday at the third flag-raising ceremony of the day.

The delegation was welcomed to Macau for the fourth East Asian Games by Isabel da Silva, a Director of MEAGOC.

The delegation's Deputy Chef de Mission, Kim Yong Man, said the people of DPR Korea would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the organizers for the hospitality shown.

"We understand that the fourth East Asian Games has a great significance in East Asia to promote peace and friendship with each other," he said.

"With our national flag flying over the city this will create a friendly atmosphere in the heart of Macau."

A 147-strong delegation will compete in 11 of the 17 sports between October 29 and November 6, and officials confirmed that both DPR Korea and the Republic of Korea had agreed to march together in Saturday's Opening Ceremony, as in previous Olympic Games and Asian Games, and were awaiting formal approval.

North Korea Team
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Three days before the opening of the fourth East Asian Games, the Macau Olympic Committee formally accepted the World Anti-Doping Agency code at MEAGOC headquarters on Wednesday.

The welcome speech was given by Fernando Chui Sai On, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government.

"I am pleased to see here in Macau, 3 days before the beginning of the 4th east Asian games, anti-doping experts from the World Anti-Doping Agency, major sports organizations as well as sports administrating bodies all over the world, gather in our city to discuss about the various topics related with doping, including its legal, ethical, moral and medical consequences", he said.

"I sincerely hope that, through this symposium, correct knowledge regarding doping and its harmful consequences can be passed on to the athletes, coaches, sports administration personnel and the sports community in general, and that efficient anti-doping strategies can be established so that fair play and, most of all, the health of the sportsmen in the quest for perfection will be preserved," he added.
Kazuhiro Hayashi, WADA's Director for Asia and Oceania also addressed all the participants with a few words by saying that EAGA has officially adopted the WADA code being the 1st major International Sports Event from the East Asia to work under these new rules.

The Simposium was also significant because of the Code Acceptance Ceremony. Kazuhiro Hayashi signed the Acceptance of the World Anti-doping Code with Macau and Tajikistan, respectively represented by Eddie Laam Wah Ying, President of the Macau Olympic Committee and president of the East Asian Games Association and Soulaimon Abdoulvakhidov, the minister of sport of government of Tajikistan.

The signing ceremony took place at the start of a two-day WADA anti-doping education symposium involving experts from all over the world.
In his address, Mr. Laam said: "The key to the fight against doping is to educate sportsmen in the harm of doping, and that a good training program is really the only effective means of improving physical performance".

"Therefore, it is with much pride and satisfaction that today Macau officially accepts the WADA code. With the acceptance of the code, the Macau Olympic Committee is recognized by WADA as the competent anti-doping agency in the Macau SAR, and is obligated to follow the international standards in the code."

After Macau, Manuel Silverio, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, paid tribute to the 76 volunteers who have trained to become doping control officers during the Games and who received a certificate of acknowledgement.

"My congratulations to you all, as you become the first group of local doping control officers taking on this important work," said Mr. Silverio.

"With this certificate you are accepting the great responsibility ahead of you. I am looking forward to seeing you work with enthusiasm during the Games and join us in our endeavour to ensure a safe and fair fourth East Asian Games."

Mr. Silverio said, for the first time in the history of the East Asian Games, the WADA code had been officially adopted as the basis for all anti-doping procedures, including the selection of athletes for testing, the collection of samples, transportation, analysis and result management.

The procedure will involve random and unannounced testing of urine samples. The athletes to be tested will be chosen the day before their respective competition, and the names will be kept secret by the medical committee. Samples will be sent to the WADA-approved laboratory in Beijing and results will be known within 24 hours.

Any punishment will be recognized by WADA and will apply to all international events during the time scale.

Mr. Silverio also explained the role of the Therapeutic Use Exemption Sub-committee, composed of medical professionals and to which athletes can apply for exemption when using a banned substance for medical needs only, most commonly asthma.

WADA is represented at the symposium by Casey Wade, Director for Education, based in Montreal, Canada.

October 27, 2005 - The fourth East Asian Games in Macau will be a stepping stone for a young Japanese team, the delegation head said at a news conference on Thursday.

Tomiaki Fukuda, Japan's Chef de Mission, described the East Asian Games as a world-standard competition and said it would provide the athletes with valuable experience on the road to the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in 2006 and to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"We think the East Asian Games are very important, and regard them as one of four major events of a world level," he said.

"The results from here will be connected to next year's Asian Games and the next Olympic Games in Beijing."

Japan's delegation is 479 strong and will compete in all 17 sports.

They were welcomed to Macau at the official flag-raising ceremony by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, who said the host city was looking forward to reciprocating the "generous hospitality" shown to the Macau team at the 2001 East Asian Games in Osaka, Japan.

October 27, 2005 - China's diving diva Guo Jingjing arrived in Macau on Thursday afternoon amidst frenzied scenes ready to complete her preparations for the fourth East Asian Games.

With a pair of fashionable spectacles serving as a trendy accessory to her official uniform, Guo was the centre of attention for the battery of photographers, TV crews and journalists trying to get up close.

The 24-year-old double Olympic champion from the 2004 Athens Games was eventually able to board the bus with her teammates before heading for the hotel.

The delegation also included members of the synchronised swimming team, men's and women's basketball, weightlifting, wushu and soft tennis.

As volunteers and fans filled the arrivals hall at Macau International Airport and waved China flags, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, took time out to personally to welcome the Chinese sports leaders.

Cui Dalin, the Deputy Chef de Mission, described the East Asian Games as a very important event, with world-class competition in several sports.

"We will try our best to produce our best performance because it is an important step in our preparations for the Beijing Olympics in 2008," he told reporters.

"We have a total of 394 athletes and more than 10 Olympic gold medal-winners with us, but most of them are young. I hope these young players can improve mentally and physically by competing at the East Asian Games."

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October 27, 2005 - The fourth East Asian Games in Macau will have special significance for their neighbours from Hong Kong as they will be staging the fifth edition in 2009.

Speaking at the flag-raising ceremony for Hong Kong's 231-strong delegation outside Macau Stadium on Thursday afternoon, Chef de Mission Vivien Fung praised Macau's "unrelenting dedication and effort to make the East Asian Games a success."

The delegation was welcomed to the ceremony by Pau Ma Chong, a member of the Consultative Committee of MEAGOC.

In the press conference that followed the ceremony, Timothy Fok, President of the Hong Kong National Olympic Committee, said Hong Kong would receive the East Asian Games Association flag from Macau during the closing ceremony on November 6.

"We admire the facilities here and I am sure we will learn plenty from being here," he said.

"Macau has just been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site and has undertaken construction work for the Games that will leave a legacy for the people of Macau.

"Our government in Hong Kong will be paying a lot of attention to this event as Hong Kong and Macau have shared many experiences for many years."

Hong Kong are competing in 14 sports and, in past East Asian games, have been strong in wushu, swimming, bowling and rowing.

Hong Kong Team
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The Guam Bowling Congress is hoping a mix of youth and experience will propel the island's bowling team to medals at next week's 2005 East Asian Games in Macau.

Guam is sending eight bowlers to the Games, which open Saturday. Bowling is scheduled to start Monday. The bowlers earned spots on the national team by registering the highest averages through a three-month qualifier from December to February.

"The team overall is pretty ready for the event. We've been working out every night for the last six weeks, some of them twice a day, and we're doing a lot of work with our legs, drills and working on our coordination," said GBC secretary general Joey Miranda III, who is also a member of the team.

"I think we have a chance to contend for medals in the singles and doubles competition, but I think basically (because we have young bowlers), we need to try to settle down during the tournament and not get overwhelmed by the opening ceremony and the hype of playing in the Games."

Current Philippines national bowling coach Johnson Cheng is coaching the Guam team, Miranda said. Cheng, who is the son-in-law of GBC president Gordon Chu and a friend of Miranda, is able to coach the Guam team because the Philippines is not in the East Asian Games.

Miranda said the guidance he can provide as well as the experience he and Jay Leon Guerrero bring should help a relatively inexperienced team at the international competition. Miranda and Leon Guerrero both competed at the 2001 East Asian Games in Osaka, Japan.

"Jay is experienced and a multi-medalist internationally -- he's probably our best bowler on island right now -- and that will help," Miranda said. "He just has to be able to stay settled during events; sometimes he has too much juice. But he's a leader and a medal contender."

Bowlers will play six singles, six doubles and three five-man games in Macau. The teams will also face the challenge of playing on different surfaces -- short-oil patterns and long-oil patterns.

"We have both here, so we were able to simulate the conditions. But, basically, what it means is you have to play different lanes when you play different patterns," said Miranda, whose team is bringing sanding and polishing equipment to the competition.

"There's a lot of strategy to it, even to the type of ball you're using because different surfaces have different results. That's why we're bringing six balls each -- so we've got a lot of luggage."

While Cheng hasn't been staying on Guam to train the team, he provided the players a regimen and left them under the watchful eye of Miranda. The preparation has been good, Miranda said, but veteran Duane Camacho, one of the team's top bowlers, had to withdraw a couple of weeks ago due to injury. Camacho was replaced with Melvin Javier. Camacho, 31, suffered hand and knee injuries following the 2003 World Championships, and he re-aggravated the injuries during training.

"Unfortunately, we lost an edge and experience from the injury to Duane, but we're looking to Melvin to step in and do well -- he's also one of our rookies," Miranda said.

"No one can fill Duane's shoes, so it'll be an uphill battle for us. But, fortunately, Duane has hung around to help coach some of our younger bowlers. Hopefully, we'll be able to go out there and perform well," he said.

Originally published October 28, 2005

A DEEP Chinese squad led by Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang is expected to dominate at the fourth East Asian Games which starts in Macau tomorrow.

The first batch of the Chinese delegation arrived late yesterday with a top official insisting that they would strive for both "results and sportsmanship," at the games.

"We bring here 11 Olympic gold medalists. We hope to keep the domination of the regional events and to train our young athletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics," said Cui Dalin, deputy head of the team.

A total of 394 Chinese athletes, 130 of whom arrived here yesterday, will compete for a total of 234 gold medals in 17 sports.

So far some 293 athletes from nine countries and regions have arrived.

But some big names such as Olympic hurdles gold medalist Liu Xiang, will come later.

A swarm of reporters chased star diver Guo Jingjing after the delegation arrived in Macau.

Guo, whose life off the pool after the 2004 Olympics has been the subject of scrutiny in the Chinese media, was immediately mobbed by over 50 reporters at Macau Airport.

Reporters soon dispersed as Guo boarded the bus.

The dual Olympic gold medalist is rumored to be dating another Chinese Olympic diver Tian Liang. She again hit the headlines last October with a paparazzi shot of her dining with a wealthy Hong Kong businessman.

She has been reprimanded for her lucrative commercial dealings but was not banished from the national team like Tian, who remains in exile.

Guo didn't answer any reporters' questions yesterday.

China will also use the nine-day competition to groom talent for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Shanghai native Liu Xiang won gold in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Athens Games. He will arrive here fresh from an easy victory in the event at the recent National Games, where he clocked 13.10 seconds.

The Chinese track and field contingent has struggled with a doping scandal and a rough run at the National Games in Jiangsu Province.

Long-distance runner Sun Yingjie was stripped of her 1,500-meter and 10,000-meter silver medals and kicked out of the games after testing positive for a banned testosterone derivative. Sun, who was allowed to keep her marathon gold, could face a two-year suspension if a second sample also tests positive.

Xing Huina, the 10,000-meter champion at Athens, saw her 1,500-meter gold rescinded after she elbowed her nearest challenger.

China's toughest competitors are likely to be South Korea and Japan. Rounding out the roster are Chinese Taipei, Guam, Hong Kong, North Korea, Mongolia and Macau.

AP/Xinhua

By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter

The South Korean delegation for the East Asian Games, starting Saturday in Macau, were delayed at Incheon International Airport due to bad flying conditions, Thursday.

The 111-man delegation was supposed to leave on a Macau Airlines flight at 8 a.m., but the airline delayed departure until after 10 p.m., due to thick fog and pilot fatigue.

``The plane took off from Macau Airport at 2 a.m. but had to divert to Cheju Island instead of Incheon due to fog,’’ Lee Jung-shin, head of Macau Airline Incheon International Airport branch, told Yonhap News Agency.

``Its pilot refused to operate on time, citing lack of ‘crew rest time,’ the flight crew’s minimum break hours between flights. So we have to wait until the substitute pilot arrives.’’

Lee Seung-gook, the team manager, and other officials from the Korea Sports Council, are reported to have sent a strong appeal to the organizers of the sports festival over this happening.

Nine Asian countries compete over 235 medals at this year’s East Asian Games. South Korea, participating in 16 categories, looks to place third after China and Japan with 37 gold medals.

Very much in line with the Olympic spirit, it is one of the aspirations of the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee (MEAGOC) to encourage greater environmental awareness in the city during the course of a large-scale regional sports event.

A "green Games" will highlight the positive impact of the event on the overall development of the host city.

Drawing on the experience of countries that have hosted environmentally friendly international sports events in the past, MEAGOC has pledged to organize a "Green East Asian Games" and to promote the idea of harmonious co-existence between humankind and nature - among the general public as well as participants in the events.

MEAGOC proposed the concept of a Green East Asian Games through the following:

Minimizing any negative impact on the environment during the East Asian Games;

Acting as a showcase for environmental protection in the city;

Championing harmonious co-existence of humankind and nature while raising the awareness of environmental protection among the public, especially among university and secondary school students;

Providing the East Asian Games with a new "harmonious environment;"

Adopting sustainable development as the ultimate target, with environmental protection as the driving force for the city's sustainable growth;

Encouraging a "greener" and healthier lifestyle, so as to enhance the quality of people.

Sports facilities

Such ideas are demonstrated in the design and construction of environmentally friendly facilities.

The Macao Special Administrative Region Government hopes to use the opportunity of hosting the 4th East Asian Games to enhance Macao's overall sports facilities.

A comprehensive approach has been taken towards designing and building sports venues in order to establish a practical plan for the facilities, taking into careful consideration the number, type and scale of these facilities.

With a limited number of facilities available in Macao, the bulk of the budget of the East Asian Games has been allocated to building new sports venues and facilities, where considerations have been made to ensure their long-term use, rather than temporary use.

Four approaches have been taken by Macao in building sports venues and facilities:

Making use of existing facilities, including the Sport Complex of the University of Macao and the Dom Bosco College Sport Complex;

Renovating and upgrading some of the existing facilities, including Taipa Macao Stadium and the Macao Forum;

Building new sports facilities, including the Macao Olympic Aquatic Centre, Macao East Asian Games Dome, IPM Multisport Pavilion, Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, Macao International Shooting Range and the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre;

Improving the surrounding environment.

In hosting big international games, the most important criterion for a "green Games" is whether the environment is considered an important factor when designing and building the sports facilities.

Each of the new sports facilities and venues has its own unique features. Nevertheless, they all testify to Macao's commitment to environmental protection. These facilities are the foundation for a successful "green Games".

More than 10 sports facilities will be used for competitions during the Macao East Asian Games. These facilities all satisfy the following criteria:

Corresponding with Macao's urban planning;

Making use of natural energy, such as natural illumination, ventilation and advanced air-conditioning systems. During daytime, there should be no essential need of electric lighting. The advanced air-conditioning system will also help save energy;

Utilizing rubbish sorting waste bins and reducing the use of nondisposable materials;

Including green areas inside and outside the facility, based on the principle of humankind's harmony with nature and the concept of green communities;

Setting priority over the needs of the people and adopting the strategy of sustainable development.

Environmental highlights

The Macao East Asian Games Dome, covering a total area of 140,000 square metres, is a multi-functional complex. It includes a main pavilion, an auxiliary pavilion and a convention and exhibition centre.

The convention and exhibition centre has been designed for the East Asian Games Dome's post-games use.

It can be used to hold large-scale sporting events or entertainment activities, banquets, exhibitions and trade fairs.

Large green areas will be built around the centre to enhance its natural environment.

An ozone water treatment system is used for the Macao Olympic Aquatic Centre to lower waste water discharge and reduce water pollution.

It is also equipped with an advanced air-conditioning system. In summer cool air can be sent from the bottom of every individual seat and in winter the heat generated by the engine can be sent to the hall to warm the roof.

The external glass walls of the aquatic centre allow natural illumination.

The environmental highlights of the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion are the external glass walls to be used to provide more natural illumination, and advanced air-conditioning system used to save energy.

As for the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, efforts have been made to improve water quality by removing the lake's muddy sediment and replacing it with a layer of two to three metres of sand on the lake's bed so that the water can clean itself naturally. This step will treat pollution and greatly improve the environment of the lake.

Source: China Daily

A swarm of reporters chased star diver Guo Jingjing instead of top sports officials as the Chinese contingent arrived on Thursday for the East Asian Games.

Guo, whose out-of-pool life after the 2004 Olympics has been the subject of scrutiny in Chinese media outlets, was immediately surrounded by over 50 waiting reporters at the Macao Airport as the first batch of the Chinese delegation appeared.

Reporters soon dispersed as Guo boarded the bus, leaving her teammates wondering the power of star.

The dual Olympic gold medalist is reputed to be the alleged girlfriend of Chinese diver Tian Liang, although it is a relationship she neither admits to nor denies.

Guo made tabloid headlines last October with a paparazzi shot of her dining with a wealthy Hong Kong businessman. She had been reprimanded for her lucrative commercial dealings, but not banished from the national team like Tian Liang, who is still in exile.

Guo didn't answer any of reporters' questions.

Guo is one of 11 Chinese Olympic champions to feature in the Macao Games. Only 110m hurdles winner Liu Xiang, who will fly here later, is a bigger draw.

A total of 394 Chinese athletes will compete in the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 Games which features 17 sports with 234 gold medals.

A top Chinese official said China came here for "harvest on results and sportsmanship".

"We hope to keep the domination of this regional event and to prepare young athletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics," said deputy chef-de-mission Cui Dalin.

China has dominated the East Asian Games since the inaugural version in 1993, winning around half of the gold medals at every previous Games.

Source: Xinhua

Mongolia became the sixth team to be officially welcomed to the East Asian Games at a flag-raising ceremony on Friday morning.

Van Kuan Lok. a member of the MEAGOC Consultative Committee, welcomed the delegation representing 110 athletes and officials.

Mongolia's Chef de Mission, Mrs. Arvin Dashjamts, then exchanged gifts with Mr. Van.

At the official press conference following the ceremony, Mrs. Dashjamts said her team's best hope for a gold medal was in the women's pistol event of the shooting competition. Weightlifting and men's basketball also had chances to produce medals.

"Unfortunately, our strongest sports such as freestyle wrestling, judo and boxing are not part of the East Asian Games programme, but we have over 100 members of the team and we hope to make good results in 11 sports," she said.

"I hope that the fourth East Asian Games will be the best ever in the region."

28/10/2005 14:39

Macau has geared up for the 4th East Asian Games with high hopes for a biggest ever haul - eight to 10 medals.
As a lightweight in sports, Macau won one silver and one bronze at the inaugural games in 1993, one bronze at the 2nd and one gold and three bronzes at the 3rd.
Macau chef-de-mission Ma Iao Hang said Macau's athletes are " well trained and confident to show their best-ever performance".
Martial arts (wushu) ace Han Jing will lead Macau's medal rush for the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 games which features 234 disciplines in 17 sports.
Han, gold medalist of Changquan Three Events at the 3rd East Asian Games, has been dominating Female Sword Play for several years and is tipped as a hot shot for the event in Macau.
Han and her partner Huang Yanhui will also run for the gold in the event of Duilian.
"Age and injuries will be my only enemies," said the 32-year- old Han.
Huang, a favorite for the Nanquan event, is also to challenge her more heralded rivals from the mainland in other individual events.
Young talents including Jia Rui, Wong Leong Nei and Ng Leong Chun will join the two female top guns in the rush for medals.
Local analysts predicted Macau to grab at least four to five medals in wushu alone.
Macau is set to show its prowess in Dragon Boat Racing, aiming to sweep all the four women's events.
In athletics and weightlifting, Macau will have a bite too.
Over 1,900 athletes from nine countries and regions will compete in the 4th East Asian Games.

Last Updated 28/10/2005, 14:53:20

The fourth East Asian Games are to open in Macau on Saturday.

Nine teams are competing at the games - Macau, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Guam.

China has the largest team of just under 400 athletes.

Games organisers hope the event will attract up to half a million spectators.

The games have been held previously in Shanghai in 1993, Busan, South Korea in 1997 and Osaka, Japan in 2001.

China has topped the medals chart on each occasion.

The Guam Taekwondo Federation is sending a contingent of three athletes, all from Minor's Taekwondo School, to compete at the 2005 East Asian Games in Macau, China.

Federation president Simon Ysrael said fourth-degree black belt Eleanor Minor -- chief instructor of Minor's Taekwondo School, junior black belt Vincent Mallada and brown belt Janie Quenga would represent Guam. The Games open Saturday and the martial arts competitions start next Thursday.

"I'm excited for the two of them. Janie is our top female and Vincent is our top (student) in his age division, so it makes me very proud that they made it through this training," Minor said.

"Whether they garner a medal or not, I told them it's a win-win situation. They'll get experience and it's going to open doors for them, and when they get back on island, it'll open doors for everyone else because they'll bring back what they learned and be able to share that with others," she said.

Making things a little more difficult for the Guam team is that Mallada and Minor will also compete in the karate competition.

"The (Guam) karate federation is not recognized anymore, and the request came from Macau through (Guam National Olympic Committee board member) Gordon Chou to see if Guam could supply a male to compete in the forms and a female to compete in the sparring to round out the competition," Ysrael said.

"I went around and asked all the different karate schools and they gave me one excuse after the other, so I decided to train the two for karate.

"For Mallada, forms is forms so it's no big deal, but the fighting -- that's a little bit trickier. Karate is a light contact sport of quick hits and one where punches can be thrown to the head, while taekwondo is full contact and heavier blows. So it could be a bit of a challenge for (Minor) to switch from one style to the next," he said.

While taekwondo is her forte, Minor does have a karate background, having won a silver medal at the 1995 South Pacific Games in Tahiti.

Asked about the small size of Guam's team, Ysrael said that 12 people initially worked out for the competition in January, but over time the numbers dwindled. Training consisted of regular workouts at Minor's Taekwondo School, sprints at Paseo on Saturdays and endurance runs up Nimitz Hill on Sundays. Ysrael also worked out with the team at least twice per week focusing on sparring techniques.

"This tournament will open their eyes because the member countries going are the elite of taekwondo -- China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea," he said.

"We have medaled in the past with Joe Cruz winning a bronze in 2001, so it has happened. But irregardless of what happens, so long as they don't get hurt and learn something, it will have proven to be a worthwhile trip."

Here is a player-by-player look at Guam's taekwondo team.

# Vincent Mallada, 14, men's lightweight division: "He has a great work ethic and his parents are 100 percent behind him, which is big, because you need that support," Ysrael said. "His weakness is inexperience. He's never fought an international tournament, so this should be an eye opener, but I think his youth and his willingness will help him. He's the kind of student where you tell him something, you show him what needs to be done, and he does it -- no complaining, no questions."

# Janie Quenga, 20, women's heavyweight division: "She's been involved in a lot of local tournaments, so she has sparring experience, but nothing like she'll see," Ysrael said. "Because of her height, which is only about 5 feet, she is at a disadvantage. But she's strong and relentless in her attack. Quenga's mentally tough and willing, and that could help overcome her deficiencies."

# Eleanor Minor, 37, women's bantam division: "If I had her five years ago, wow. In '99 she was a terror. She's still relentless -- she doesn't stop. She'll keep punching and kicking at you until she scores," Ysrael said. "She may not have what she once did, but she has the heart. She may be a little soft on the talent now, but on the heart and wanting to win, you can't ask for any more in one person. She has a wealth of experience to draw from, and you tell her something and she picks it up right away, and that should help her."

Originally published October 27, 2005

28/10/2005 17:01

Despite the presence of 11 Athens Olympic champions on its roster, China has kept a low key about its medal prospects at the upcoming East Asian Games in Macau.
"It is hard to predict how many medals we will win at these games," Cui Dalin, China's deputy Chef de Mission, told a press conference in Macau on Friday.
"I think the competition here would be highly intense and the medals difference between delegations should be small," he said.
China has dominated the East Asian Games since 1993, winning around half of the gold medals available at each of the previous editions.
With its best-ever gold medal haul at last year's Olympics in Athens -- 32 golds after the United States'35, China is expected to enjoy another gold medal harvest in Macau.
Cui, however, warned against underestimating China's East Asian rivals at the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 games.
"Each country or region has its own strong sports. Even Hong Kong and Macau are highly competitive in some events. They can also cause upset," said Cui.
China has brought the largest contingent of 394 athletes, followed by Japan, 337, and South Korea, 305.
A total of some 1,900 athletes from China, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Hong Kong of China, Macau of China, Chinese Taipei and Guam will contest for 234 gold medals in 17 sports at the 4th East Asian Games.

Mongolia, a perennial outsider in sporting events, hopes to win a gold medal at the forthcoming East Asian Games in Macao.

The hinterland country won a total of four gold, five silver, 42 bronze medals from the previous three East Asian Games.

Arvin Dashjamts, Mongolia's chef de mission, said that her team's best hope for a gold medal in Macao was in shooting.

Weightlifting and men's basketball also had chances to produce medals.

"Unfortunately, our strongest sports are not included in the fourth East Asian Games program. For example, freestyling wrestling, judo and boxing," said Dashjamts through an interpreter.

Mongolia fielded a 110-member delegation to the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 event, and shooter Otryad Gundegmaa will be its trump card.

Gundegmaa, ranked third in the International Shooting Federation's world rankings for women's 25-meter pistol, is a serious title contender in both events that she will compete. The 27-year-old will also enter the women's 10m air pistol competition.

Teams from nine countries and regions are taking part in the quadrennial East Asian Games, and what makes the East Asian Games, the third most important multi-sports event in Asia, distinctive from the much larger Asian Games is that the smaller teams such as Mongolia and Guam have a chance of winning medals.

"I hope that the fourth East Asian Games will be the best ever in the region," said Dashjamts.

(Xinhua)

A sports delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday appeared in Macao's Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion to attend the flag-rising ceremony after DPRK's 12-year absence to the East Asian Games, vowing to grab at least 10 gold medals during the nine-day sports gala.

"The 4th East Asian Games will be a good opportunity to promote the exchange of culture and friendship in the region," DPRK deputy chief de mission Kim Yong-man said at his address on the ceremony.

The DPRK delegation, including 94 athletes and 54 officials, arrived here on Tuesday afternoon to join the competitions of aquatics, athletics, basketball, football, gymnastics, karatedo, rowing, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and wushu, or Chinese martial arts.

"The most hopeful sports are football, rowing, gymnastics and wushu," Yun Yong-bok, member of DPRK's Olympic Committee, told Xinhua.

"It's hard to say how many medals we can get, but we promise we will perform better than last time when we attended the East Asian Games," the official added.

In 1993, DPRK won 10 gold, 20 silver and 24 bronze medals in the inaugural games in Shanghai, finishing fourth after China, Japan and South Korea.

There is "a high possibility" for the two Koreas to have a join match at the opening ceremony, Yun said.

The (South) Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) told press earlier in Seoul that they had accepted the proposal by their DPRK counterpart on holding a joint march at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the coming East Asian Games.

"We hope the games would be a stage to show harmony and peace among the peoples in the region," said Kim Yong-man.

The two Koreas have held five joint marches in a series of international sports events since the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a gesture of national reconciliation and reunification.

The South Korean Olympic Committee said on Monday in a press release that Pyongyang has offered to hold working-level discussions with the KOC during the East Asian Games in Macao on forming a united team to the 2006 Asian Games and 2008 Olympics.

More than 1,900 athletes from China, DPRK, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong of China, Macao of China and Guam will attend the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 games with 234 titles up for grabs.

Source: Xinhua

China's Deputy Chef de Mission, Cui Dalin, says his athletes have settled into Macau very quickly due to the high level of service and infrastructure.

Without a designated athletes' village, the nine delegations are staying in 22 city hotels, plus the new East Asia Hall dormitory of Macau University.

This suits the athletes just fine, Mr. Cui told a news conference on Friday after the flag-raising ceremony outside Macau Stadium.

"It is better for them to live in hotels rather than in an athletes' village because the hotels are world-class and the services are better," he said.

"The hotels are only a few minutes away from the stadiums so it is very convenient for the athletes, and this is one of the criteria for a successful Games. The Macau government has invested a lot of money to host these Games and some of the stadiums are world-class. Everyone is very satisfied. The environment is very good."

China have brought a 560-strong delegation, with 11 gold medal-winners from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, including hurdles hero Liu Xiang, star swimmer Luo Xuejuan and diving queen Guo Jingjing.

The delegation was welcomed officially to Macau by Fernando Chui Sai On, Secretary for Culture and Social Affairs.

The team of Korea will be on a three-point mission at the fourth East Asian Games in Macau.

At a news conference following the flag-raising ceremony at Macau Stadium on Friday, Chef de Mission Lee Seung Kuk outlined the goals.

"First, we want to strengthen the unity and harmony between our team members," he said.

"Second, we would like to show the unity between North and South Korea by holding a joint march, and we hope this can lead to improved relations with North Korea. It will show to the world we are trying for the reunification of North and South Korea.

"Third, we would like to take this opportunity to improve our own skills and check our performance level ahead of the Asian Games in Qatar next year."

Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have marched together in past Olympic and Asian Games, and they will do so again here at the Opening Ceremony on Saturday night.

Korea have brought a delegation of 399, made up of 304 athletes, 67 coaches and 28 headquarters staff.

They were welcomed to Macau at the flag-raising ceremony by MEAGOC Consultative Council member Chan Chak Mo.

Chinese Taipei will be aiming for a double-digit gold medal haul at the fourth East Asian Games.

Speaking at a news conference at Macau Stadium on Friday, Thomas Ta-Chou Huang, President of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and Chef de Mission, said he was hoping for at least 10 gold medals.

"At the first East Asian Games we won six gold medals, at the second we won eight and at the third we won six, so this time we hope to improve on that and win more than 10," he said.

The Chinese Taipei delegation has 362 members, including 268 athletes, and will compete in all 17 sports.

The delegation includes Henry Hsu Heng, an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, who joined the flag-raising ceremony in his wheelchair under a blazing afternoon sun - and was applauded to his place in the line by fellow team members and other participants.

The Chinese Taipei delegation was welcomed to the ceremony by MEAGOC Consultative Committee member Leong Heng Teng.

Chinese Taipei Team
http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/img_upload/new_photo/1130487161.jpg

http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/img_upload/new_photo/1130487330.jpg

Korea Team
http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/img_upload/new_photo/1130479040.jpg

Mongolia Team
http://www.east-asian-games2005.com/img_upload/new_photo/1130464896.jpg

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Fernando Chui Sai On, opened the Beijing 2008 Briefing at Macau Tower on Friday afternoon.

"Along with the fourth East Asian Games, we are pleased to see a delegation from Beijing is here to promote the 2008 Olympic Games, and on behalf of the SAR Government I offer them a warm welcome," said Dr. Chui.

"A series of promotional events to be held by Beijing will enable the people of Macau and other visitors here to know more about the Olympic Games in 2008."

Dr. Chui said that the "one country, two systems" policy had worked smoothly in the six years since Macau returned to the motherland in 1999.

"The economy has shown a big growth, and there is obvious progress in a lot of aspects," he said.

"The Olympic Games and East Asian Games both mean a lot to the people of Beijing and Macau."

The Executive Vice-President of BOGOC, Jiang Xiaoyu, updated the audience on the progress of the Beijing Games, and said it was the intention for the Torch Relay to pass through all China, including the Special Administrative Regions such as Macau.

"The 2008 Olympics will be the Green Games, the People's Games and the High-tech Games," he said.

He said there would be almost 10 million tickets available in the 37 competition venues, and the 10,000 volunteers needed would include people from Macau, as promised by the Macau SAR Chief Executive, Edmund Ho Hau Wah.

On the marketing front, Mr. Jiang said BOGOC was well on the way to surpassing the original revenue target of US$1.625 billion.

The 21st East Asian Games Association Council Meeting was held on October 28 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and chaired by Fernando Chui Sai On, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture.

He said in his address that he welcomed all nine countries and regions to Macau to compete in the fourth East Asian Games from October 29 to November 6.

"2005 is a milestone year for Macau. Not only will Macau host the fourth East Asian Games this year, but next year the first Lusofonia Games for the Portuguese-speaking National Olympic Committees, and in 2007 the second Asian Indoor Games," he said.

"This will mark another new high point for sports development in Macau, and this is dependent on the support of the government, the sports community, MEAGOC staff and partners.

"The volunteers from different sectors of society have made great sacrifices and shown devotion, and I want to thank all of you. I hope that all the citizens of Macau will play a part in the fourth East Asian Games.

"In the next nine days, apart from the competition, MEAGOC has arranged cultural activities to enjoy and for everyone to experience more of Macau."

Other sports leaders in attendance were Eddie Laam Wah Ying, President of EAGA, Olympic Council of Asia Vice-President for East Asia Timothy Fok, Honorary President of EAGA Tsunekazu Takeda of Japan, EAGA Rules and Technical Committee President Tu Mingde, and EAGA Medical Committee Chairman Wong Wai Lap.

A Chinese runner who failed a drugs test earlier this month will not compete in the East Asian Games in Macau, a spokeswoman for the Chinese team said, while the event's organizers pledged to follow international drugs- testing standards.

Min Lee

A Chinese runner who failed a drugs test earlier this month will not compete in the East Asian Games in Macau, a spokeswoman for the Chinese team said, while the event's organizers pledged to follow international drugs- testing standards.

Runner Sun Yingjie, who tested positive for a banned testosterone derivative at China's National Games, is not on the team roster for the Games that start on Saturday, said Zhou Jing, a coordinator for the Chinese delegation.

Sun was stripped of her 1,500 meter and 10,000 meter silver medals at China's Games and faces a two-year ban if a second sample tests positive.

Sun was originally on the list of competitors submitted to East Asian Games' organizers.

Cui Dalin, the deputy head of the Chinese delegation, said only that the team's roster was first set before the National Games and adjusted afterward because of injuries and other factors, which he did not specify.

"This [adjusting the roster] is very normal," he said.

Meanwhile, East Asian Games organizers have for the first time adopted standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which coordinates international doping efforts.

Games officials will conduct random and unannounced tests of urine samples and send them to a WADA- sanctioned laboratory in Beijing.

China is considered a favorite at the East Asian Games, fielding Olympic champions like hurdler Liu Xiang, swimmer Luo Xuejuan and diver Guo Jingjing.

Cui said that more than 10 Olympic champions from the Athens Games are among the Chinese athletes participating, but that the team is also grooming new talent ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He said the average age of the team is 23. Of the 394 Chinese athletes, only 90 have Olympic experience.

wow. the rehearsal looks better than an olymipic games opening ceremony. hahaha.

^^ the government has spend a lot of $$ on this game,
btw, the open ceremony was organised by the same company which will organise the Beijing Olympic games in 2008

China made a confident start in the men's basketball tournament by beating Macau 94-43 in the opening game at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion on Saturday.

From the moment Yi Jianlian, China's 18-year-old, 2.12-metre forward, won the tip-off and Wang Shipeng drained the first of his six three-pointers, the result was never in doubt.

But Macau hung on gamely, and there was no disgrace in defeat against such a tall, talented and young Chinese team.

Yi, who scored 15 points, three fewer than the impressive outside shooter Wang, said China had not played to their maximum level.
"It was only half power, because we were playing against our brothers," he said.

The seven teams will play a round-robin format, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals.

The East Asian Games are up and running.
Although there are no gold medals at stake on the opening day, the action still came thick and fast in basketball, dragon boat racing and wushu on Saturday morning.

China made a confident start in the men's basketball tournament by beating Macau 94-43 in the opening game at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.

From the moment Yi Jianlian, China's 18-year-old, 2.12-metre forward, won the tip-off and Wang Shipeng drained the first of his six three-pointers, the result was never in doubt.

But Macau hung on gamely, and there was no disgrace in defeat against such a tall, talented and young Chinese team.

Yi, who scored 15 points, three fewer than the impressive outside shooter Wang, said China had not played to their maximum level.
"It was only half power, because we were playing against our brothers," he said.

Macau proved to be a winner in another sport, though, in the first heat of the men's 500-metre standard dragon boat competition at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre.

Macau won the first heat in 2 minutes, 01.630 seconds to qualify for the final on Sunday, and send second-placed Japan and third-placed Hong Kong into the repechage.

China won the second heat in 2:00.700 to also reach the final, leaving Chinese Taipei to contest the repechage.

Japan and Chinese Taipei finished 1-2 in the repechage to advance to the final, eliminating Hong Kong

In the women's 500-metre standard dragon boat, China won round one in 2:10.130, ahead of Macau and Chinese Taipei.

China followed up by winning round one of the women's 500-metre small dragon boat in 2:31.390, ahead of Macau and Chinese Taipei.

In the men's 500-metre small dragon boat, Macau won round one in 2:06.340, ahead of China, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.
All eight finals will be held on Sunday afternoon.

The wushu event will feature 19 gold medals, and the three-day competition also got under way Saturday morning.

Great Expectation!!
The Opening Ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games will be held in the Macau stadium at 20:00p.m., Saturday, October 29

Dragonboat

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Wushu-SanShou

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OLYMPIC hero Liu Xiang will bear the Chinese national flag in the absence of Yao Ming at the opening ceremony of the East Asian Games tonight.

Zhou Jing, press officer of the Chinese delegation, said the Olympic 110m hurdles champion was the best choice for flag-bearer at tonight's opening ceremony in Macau.

"While Yao Ming is away, Liu Xiang is the sure bet," she said.

Both of them are Shanghai natives.

Yao, who plays for the Houston Rockets, led the Chinese delegation at the Athens Olympic Games last year, where Liu won China's first ever Olympic men's track gold days later.

Unlike the National Games organizers, who had relocated Liu in six different hotels in a failed attempt to get the reporters off his back, Macau has settled the superstar in Taipa Square Hotel.

Liu's scheduled arrival today is likely to spark off another media frenzy.

Diving queen Guo Jingjing had to be escorted out on Thursday due to an overzealous media.

Tickets for Liu's and Guo's events have been lapped up by star-crazy fans.

Liu has complained of distractions that followed his Athens triumph.

The Shanghai native has been hounded by adoring fans and a hungry media since his Olympic victory that equaled the world record.

"Before I won the Olympic title only a few reporters followed me around. Now I feel like I have been stripped naked," he once said.

During the National Games which ended on October 23, Liu has been the main draw with his image plastered all over the city.

While no more than 5,000 people showed up in the early days of the track and field competition, around 40,000 were at the Nanjing Olympic Center to watch Liu win the title in his pet event.

China, meanwhile, is playing down its medal prospects despite the presence of 11 Olympic champions on its roster.

"It is hard to predict how many medals we will win at these games," Cui Dalin, China's deputy Chef de Mission, said yesterday.

"I think the competition here would be highly intense and the medals difference would be small," he said.

China has dominated the East Asian Games since 1993, winning around half of the gold medals available at each of the previous editions.

With its best-ever gold medal haul at last year's Olympics in Athens, China is expected to enjoy another medal harvest in Macau.

Cui, however, warned against underestimating China's rivals at the October 29-November 6 games.

"Each country or region has its own strong sports. Even Hong Kong and Macau are highly competitive in some events. They can also cause upsets," said Cui.

China has brought the largest contingent of 394 athletes, followed by Japan, 337, and South Korea, 305.

A total of some 1,900 athletes from China, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Hong Kong of China, Macau of China, Chinese Taipei and Guam will contest for 234 gold medals in 17 events at the 4th East Asian Games.

MACAO, Oct. 29 (Xinhuanet, By Sportswriter Cao Jianjie) -- Richard Gere cha-chas in Shall We Dance to break out of his mid-life rut; Jennifer Lopez tangos for the meaning of life. In Macao, dancing is for glittering medals.

Dance sport will be a highlight of the East Asian Games as the all-mighty Team China is set to make the regional sport gala the most lopsided games.

As there is no real competition, let's enjoy Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep, Samba, Cha-Cha-Cha, Rumba,Paso Doble and Jive, all the medal events in the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 Games.

Partly thanks to Hollywood movies like Shall We Dance, a scene-for-scene remake of the 1996 Japanese namesake, the popularity of the sport has soared. Grace, style, rhythm and co-ordination - youname it - have made it one of the most beautiful sports in the world.

Saving the best for last, the 4th East Asian Games has put dance sport's debut on Nov. 5, one day before the closing ceremony.

Since the sport is new, nobody is sure which delegation might dominate the event. But dancers from South Korea, Japan and China are expected to shine. Guam, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macao are notwithout title chances.

Beside the Western and Latin dancing, Oriental sports will alsopaint the EAG with a brush of culture color.

Dragon boat racing is making its first appearance in the EAG. The sport has a long history and can date back to 278 B.C., the year when Chinese poet and politician Qu Yuan committed suicide.

In memory of this great poet, people made it a custom to hold dragon boat races and eat glutinous rice ball wrapped up with bamboo or reed leaves on the day he died.

Macao holds the annual international dragon boat festival whichattracts more than 3,000 visitors from all over the world. This time, the sport is taken seriously for medals.

Among all the curious sports in the East Asian Games, Wushu is the most established, contested as a medal event since the 1990 Asian Games.

Host Macao has pinned its gold hopes on Wushu, while China, without doubt, is the strongest in this form of martial arts.

Wushu derives from a wide variety of ancient Chinese martial arts with a distinctive background of Asian culture and can be traced back to 3000 B.C.

As a sport, Wushu is composed of two disciplines: Taolu (routines) and Sanshou (combat) which have 19 gold medals at stake,making it the third gold-richest sport - after athletics (52) and swimming (45). Enditem

I saw the stadium under construction when I was in Macau last December; I was wondering what that UFO-looking thing was!

^^ that is the Macau Egg :)
its a 7000 seats indoor stadium

Basketball

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The fourth East Asian Games began in spectacular fashion at Macau Stadium on Saturday night.

The Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, Wu Yi, declared the Games open, to thunderous applause and cheers from the Macau citizens, led by Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah.

The President of the East Asian Games Association, Eddie Laam Wah Ying, gave the welcome speech, and thanked the Macau SAR Government for all their support, making Macau "the proud owner of 12 international standard venues."

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEAGOC, Manuel Silverio, then praised the spirit of the Macau people, and said the Games were opening after 1,915 days of preparation.

"The hosting of the fourth East Asian Games is one of the finest demonstrations of the success of the handover," said Mr. Silverio, referring to the 1999 change of sovereignty from Portugal to China.

He described the people of Macau as "true ambassadors for global peace".

"Indeed, what better means to serve the quest for peace, mutual respect and understanding than that of sport.

"We are delighted and privileged to be sharing this sense of pride and ownership for the Games with you all and the people of the East Asia region."

The delegations entered the arena behind brightly-decorated floats, and there was a special cheer for the teams from Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who marched together holding hands in a moving display of unity.

Three torches were carried into the stadium by three local athletes, and together they lit the torch held by wushu star Han Jing. This was then passed to a fisher boy - a character representing the people of Macau and its origins as a fishing village - who ran to the front of the model boat spanning the pitch to light the Games cauldron, a scene that had the crowd gasping in awe and appreciation.

After the pledge of fair play and judging by representatives of the athletes and judges, the athletes left the arena, and Singaporean songstress Stefanie Sun entertained the crowd.

When the formalities were over, the audience was treated to a sumptuous cultural performance by the Beijing BeiAo Grand Culture and Sports Events Co. Ltd.

Involving some 8,000 volunteers, many from local high schools, and 1,000 professionals from Beijing, BeiAo Events produced surprise after surprise in a performance that held the spectators spellbound with its exoticism and innovation.

Entitled "Light of East Asia - Symphonic Poem of Macau", the story featured five chapters, "The Sunrise Sonata", "Serene Sea Nocturne", "Homeward Voyage Concerto", "Macau Symphony" and "New Era Rhapsody".

There was a never-ending flow of extravagant props and costumes, including giant sea creatures, and a fly past by a flock of red-crowned cranes which stunned the audience and left them wondering whether they were real or on wires.

Macau passed the first test of the Opening Ceremony with flying colours.

In the words of the Games anthem, "We Will Shine", sung by local band Soler, Macau shined like a star at the start of the East Asian Games.

Earlier in the day, the sports action had begun at four venues as preliminary rounds of the dragon boat and wushu competitions were held, and the men's basketball and football got underway.

Japan beat Chinese Taipei 6-1 in Pool A of the football tournament, thanks to two second-half goals from Rui Komatsu, while there were victories for China over Macau (94-43), for Chinese Taipei over Korea (75-56) and for Japan over Hong Kong (88-59).

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MACAU: Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang should know by now: he can run, but he can’t hide.

The Athens 110-meter hurdles champion arrived Saturday in Macau, where he’s the star at the fourth East Asian Games. Confronted with a reception of dozens of photographers at the airport, Liu tried to rush away without saying much. While he’s shown some aversion to the ever-burgeoning media scrum that has tracked him since his world record-equaling run at Athens, the 22-year-old hurdler didn’t mind being the centre of attention on the track.

His first official engagement here was as flagbearer for the 588-strong Chinese delegation at the opening ceremonies later Saturday at Macau Stadium. The ceremonies also featured an Olympic-style symbolic show of unison with athletes from the divided Korean peninsula marching into the stadium behind a unification flag. North Korea is competing at the East Asian Games for the first time since the inaugural meet at Shanghai in 1993, having skipped the second and third editions in South Korea and Japan.

China’s Vice Premier Wu Yi welcomed the athletes from nine nations and territories, opening the Games during an extravagant ceremony with a distinctive local theme. China has topped the medal standings at each staging of the East Asian Games so far and should do it again in this nine-day event that has drawn almost 3,000 athletes and officials from Guam to Mongolia. While the smaller teams will be happy with a handful of medals, a Chinese team bristling with Olympic champions is determined to dominate in Macau.

Guo Jingjing, the glamorous diver who won two gold medals at Athens, will compete in the women’s 1-meter springboard on Sunday. Liu doesn’t compete until Wednesday. He was rated behind only Houston Rockets basketball star Yao Ming and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” actress Zhang Ziyi in Forbes Magazine’s latest list of Chinese celebrities. And with Yao unavailable for these Games because of his commitments with the Rockets, there’s more attention on Liu’s program.

Even without Yao, China had too much power for host Macau in the first of the basketball preliminaries, with NBA prospect Yi Jianlian among five Chinese in double digits. Yi, a nearly 2.14-meter (7-foot) centre, notched 15 points as China coasted to a 94-43 win after jumping to a 10-0 start. In other men’s basketball matches, Taiwan beat South Korea 75-56 and Japan accounted for Hong Kong 88-59.

Rui Komatsu scored two goals in Japan’s 6-1 thrashing of Taiwan in the opening soccer match. The East Asian Games is the first major multi-sports event hosted by former Portuguese colony Macau, a gambling enclave just west of Hong Kong. Games organisers spent more than 2.8 billion Macau patacas ($374 million; £309 million) renovating and constructing new venues for the event, including a multi-sport dome complex and the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Athletes will compete for 234 gold medals in 17 sports in a program that includes dance sport and dragon boat racing. Macau and China were the frontrunners in dragon boat preliminaries on Nam Van Lake on Saturday and will lead the charge in the eight gold-medal races on Sunday. There’s 12 Wushu titles up for grabs on Sunday, when competition also gets underway in weightlifting, gymnastics and field hockey. ap

Japan began the men's football tournament in sparkling style, crushing Chinese Taipei 6-1 at the Macau University of Science and Technology sports field on Saturday afternoon.

In the opening match of Group A, Japan led 2-0 at the break and added four more in the second half with a strong all-round performance.

Rui Komatsu scored twice for Japan, in the space of three second-half minutes, and there was one apiece for Shingo Akamine, Shingo Hyodo, Shinji Tsujio and, in second-half injury time, for left-footed playmaker Jungo Fujimoto. Chinese Taipei replied with a long-range effort from Lin Kueipin that sailed over the Japanese keeper to make it 3-1 early in the second half.

Head coach Masahiro Inui said he was very satisfied with Japan's performance, considering it was their first outing since the Universiade tournament in Turkey in August.

"We have not been able to play together for two months, so to score six goals after just two training sessions here is very satisfying," he said.

"I was able to try out two systems, 4-4-2 and 3-5-2, and we showed a lot of discipline."

His opposite number, Lee Po-Houng, said his team lacked experience at this level of international competition.

"The players were too nervous and could not relax, but they tried their best," he said.

"We had a few injuries and this affected the performance."

The curtain finally went up on the East Asian Games (EAG) Saturday night as China is set to dominate the 17-sport gala, including culture-flavored events like dragon boating and sport dancing.

Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi declared the games open.

The games marked the sixth time the two Koreas marched together after they joined hands in the 2000 Olympic opening ceremony.

The two delegations marched into the Macao Stadium led by a common flag featuring blue Korean Peninsula against a white background, which was hoisted by South Korean men's basketballer Yang Hee-jong and DPRK women's cager Ryu Hyong-sun.

It was a welcome return for the DPRK since the country skipped the past two editions.

If negotiations between two sides go well on the sideline of the EAG, a unified team will be sent to the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

China sent a 560-strong squad, including 394 athletes, to Macao - the largest of all the contingents. Japan and South Korea have also fielded large teams, but they can't reverse the fate as playing second fiddle to Asia's sporting superpower.

With China winning 32 golds to the United States' 34 at the 2004 Olympics, it remains a sure bet that the country will be the runaway leader on the medal tally again.

Of the 234 events to be contested, China should sweep over 100 golds if the previous records are anything to go by.

At the inaugural games in Shanghai in 1993, China underlined its strength by taking 105 gold medals - more than four times the tally of the second finisher, Japan. Also dominant in 1997 and 2001, China had made the EAG an event without suspense.

China's Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang and star diver Guo Jingjing are the brightest stars here. The tickets for the two's events had earlier been sold out and their separate arrivals at the Macao airport sparked off media frenzy.

Liu Xiang, co-holder of the 110m hurdles world record, has fared well this year, finishing second in the world championships, winning Shanghai Grand Prix and sweeping the field in the National Games nine days ago.

Liu, who carried the Chinese national flag in the opening ceremony, said earlier that he wouldn't have to clock anything close to his world mark of 12.91 seconds to win in Macao.

The other teams - Japan, South Korea, the DPRK, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia and Guam - will seek glory in China's shadow. Japan will battle South Korea to decide who would follow China closest, while the fourth place is wide open.

After costly nine-year preparation, Macao hopes to be recognized as a top host and to shake off the tag as a sports nobody.

Having won only one title from the past three games, Macao will look for top honors in Wushu and dragon boating.

For Macao, the EAG came with a price.

Eleven venues were built from scratch, with the Macao Dome as the center piece. Costing more than 75 million US dollars, the dome is the most modern structure in Macao.

The Olympic Aquatic Center is equally impressive. The 1,500- seat center has a 10-lane pool, a 25x25m diving pool and a diamond- vision screen.

Source: Xinhua

Five players scored two-digits as China crushed host Macao 94-43 in the East Asian Games basketball competitions here on Saturday.

China jumped to 10-0 at the start and never looked back.

Wang Shipeng topped the Chinese team with 18 points, followed by NBA hopeful Yi Jianlian with 15, Meng Da 11, Zhang Qunpeng 10 and Wang Bo 10.

Cheong Tongfai nabbed 14 points and Wu Waihong added 13 for Macao. Only five Macao players scored in the game against China's 12.

Yi, who scored 15 in only 20 minutes, said China had not played to their best.

"It was only half power, because we were playing against our brothers," he said.

Macao's coach Zeng Zhaozhong, however, said Chinese players seemed not in a good form.

"Maybe they had little time to play a team as they were just back from the National Games.We are lucky that the result is not so embarrassing," added he.

In Saturday's another two games, Chinese Taipei outplayed South Korea 75-56, Japan beat Chinese Hong Kong 88-59.

Source: Xinhua

Following is a backgrounder on the East Asian Games slogan and mascot:

Slogan:

New East New Era, Let's All Join The Games

(The powerful energy of East Asia will generate a new era, leading to a new beginning and progress towards prosperity with the rest of the world.)

Mascot

"Pak Pak" is the athletic and adorable squirrel mascot of the Macao 2005 East Asian Games. "Pak Pak" comes from Macao's famous Guia Hill where there are lots of fir trees, and is also the site of the oldest lighthouse on the China coast - the Guia Lighthouse.

"Pak Pak" is a friendly squirrel that is very much into different kinds of sports, from karate-do, basketball, soccer and swimming to just about everything. Being a happy-go-lucky squirrel, "Pak Pak" always has a smile to share.

Source: Xinhua

MACAO, Oct. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Vice-premier Wu Yi arrived here Saturday afternoon to open the 4th East Asian Games scheduled from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6.

Upon her arrival, Wu was greeted at the Macao International Airport by Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Susana Chou, President of the Legislative Assembly, Folrinda Chan, Secretary for Administration and Justice, Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance, and Chui Sai On, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture.

The vice-premier was presented with bouquets of flowers. She shook hands with Macao officials present.

During her one-day stay in Macao, Wu is to meet with heads of all nine delegations competing in the Games, Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and officials of Macao-based offices of mainland governmental agencies and companies.

Officials accompanying Wu on the tour include Chen Zuo'er, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

Among those who greeted the vice-premier at the airport are BaiZhijian, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the MSAR, Wan Yongxiang, Commissioner of the ForeignAffairs Ministry in the MSAR, and Liu Peng, Director of the State Sport Administration. Enditem

MACAO, Oct. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Olympic hero Liu Xiang will bear the Chinese national flag at the opening ceremony of the East Asian Games, a Chinese official said on Friday.

Zhou Jing, press officer of the Chinese delegation, said the Olympic 110m hurdles champion is the best choice as the flag-bearer at Saturday's ceremony.

"While Yao Ming is away, Liu Xiang is a sure bet," she said.

Yao, who plays for Houston Rockets, hoisted the Chinese national flag in the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where Liu won China's first ever Olympic men's track gold days later.

Unlike the National Games organizers, who had relocated Liu in six hotels in a failed attempt to rid of chasing reporters, Macao will settle the superstar in Taipa Square Hotel.

Liu's scheduled arrival on Saturday is set to spark off media frenzy. Diving queen Guo Jingjing had faced media overzeal on her arrival on Thursday.

The tickets for Liu Xiang and Guo Jingjing have been sold out, according to the games' ticketing office.

Liu Xiang has complained about distractions that followed his Athens triumph.

The Shanghaiese has been hounded by adoring fans and a hungry media pack ever since his Olympic victory that equaled the world record.

"Before I won the Olympic title only a few reporters followed me around. Now I feel like I have been stripped naked," he once said.

During the National Games which ended on Oct. 23, Liu has been the main draw with constant media coverage. His image are plastered all over the city.

While no more than 5,000 people showed up in the early days of the track and field competition, around 40,000 were at the Nanjing Olympic Center to watch Liu win the title single-handedly. Enditem

It is more important for Olympic champion Liu Xiang to avoid injuries than winning a gold medal at the East Asian Games in Macao, his coach Sun Haiping said Saturday.

"Liu Xiang's priority is to avoid injuries," Sun told reporters upon his arrival in Macao Saturday afternoon.

"Then follows the task of winning the race," he added.

The 22-year-old Liu, who won gold in the 110m hurdles with world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds at last year's Olympics in Athens, arrived in Macao fresh from an easy victory in the event at China's National Games, where he clocked 13.10 seconds.

Sun predicted Liu to run 13.30 to 13.50 at the East Asian Games.

"Frankly speaking, 13.50 seconds and 14 seconds make no difference as long as he can win the title," said Sun.

The men's 110m hurdles event is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Liu, who has become the most popular athlete in China since his Olympic glory, stirred an uproar at the airport Saturday as more than 100 reporters battled their way to interview the athletics star.

The 4th East Asian Games runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6, with 234 gold medals up for grabs in 17 sports.

Source: Xinhua

MACAO, Oct. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi met with Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), here on Saturday.

Wu said she was here to attend the opening ceremony of the fourth East Asian Games on behalf of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. She hailed the efforts made by Ho, his administration and the Macao people to host a successful East Asian Games.

The Macao chief executive said it was the first time for the inexperienced Macao to hold a major sports event, adding the Macaopeople have been displaying enthusiasm for the Games and thanks tosupport from all walks of life, the MSAR is expecting success of the event.

Wu arrived here earlier Saturday to open the Games, which is scheduled to run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6. Enditem

Macau's spectacular East Asian Games Opening Ceremony on Saturday night was widely praised in the following day's newspapers.

"East Asia lights up," declared the headline in the China Daily Hong Kong Edition.

"It was poetry in sport that was evident in Macau on Saturday night," said the article.

"It was also the night that Macau saw the most colourful and inspiring display of cultural and musical programmes. And we all have sport to thank for that."

In a front-page article under the headline "Magical night in Macau", the Sunday Morning Post said: "A cast of thousands kicks off the fourth East Asian Games¡Kwith a stunning display of dancing, music and fireworks that left spectators enthralled.

"It was a dazzling display inside the stadium and out for the opening ceremony."

The Macao Daily News ran a half-page photograph of the Macau team entering the stadium and said, "The night was fabulous and we, the Macau people, feel very proud to host such a large-scale event."

The Associated Press described it as "an extravagant ceremony with a distinctive local theme" -- words that will be read around the world.

Macau won the first gold medal of the East Asian Games, China beat Japan by one point in a nail-biting women's basketball game, and soft tennis was also served up on a memorable Sunday morning.

Host city Macau won the first gold through Huang Yanhui in the women's nanquan event of the wushu tournament at Macau Forum.

The 24-year-old Huang dazzled spectators and judges alike with a fast and furious display of southern Chinese fist fighting to hold off her five rivals.

Huang, who hails from Fujian Province in China, scored 9.75 points. Japan's Erika Kojima took the silver with 9.62, followed by Chen Shaochi of Chinese Taipei with 9.40.

"I am very happy and excited to win the first gold medal of the fourth East Asian Games," said Huang.

"I was feeling under a bit of pressure before the Games, and a month ago I hurt my leg, but I was able to perform well because of my persistence and strong self-belief.

"I have been focusing on the East Asian Games since July, so I am relieved to live up to my expectations."

China edged Japan 73-72 in a thrilling opening game of the women's basketball event thanks to a team-high 15 points from forward Wu Jingjing at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.

China's coach, Li Yaguang, said the narrow victory would make the team more aggressive for the remainder of the competition.

"Korea and Chinese Taipei both play with a fast attack and good skills, while our players have a height advantage. We are very grateful to win this first game when it was so close."

In soft tennis, China beat Mongolia 3-0 in the women's team quarter-finals and will meet Japan in the semi-finals. Korea beat Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the semi-finals to book their place in the gold medal match on Monday.

In the men's team event, China beat Mongolia 2-1 in the quarters and will play Japan in the semi-finals, while Chinese Taipei beat Korea 2-1 in the semi-finals.

Host city Macau won the first gold medal of the East Asian Games on Sunday morning through Huang Yanhui in the women's nanquan event of the wushu tournament at Macau Forum.

The 24-year-old Huang dazzled the audience and the judges with a fast and furious display of southern Chinese fist fighting to hold off her five rivals.

Huang, who hails from Fujian Province in China, scored 9.75 points. Japan's Erika Kojima took the silver with 9.62, followed by Chen Shaochi of Chinese Taipei with 9.40.

"I am very happy and excited to win the first gold medal of the fourth East Asian Games," said Huang.

"I was feeling under a bit of pressure before the Games, and a month ago I hurt my leg, but I was able to perform well because of my persistence and strong self-belief."

Huang was the second athlete to perform, and her snappy and aggressive movements marked her down as the player to beat for the remaining four competitors.

"I have been focusing on the East Asian Games since July, so I am relieved to live up to the expectations."

Her next target is the world championships in December, but she spoke of her regret in not being able to compete in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when wushu will be a demonstration sport, because Macau's application to join the International Olympic Committee is still pending.

For now she can bask in the glory of the East Asian Games after delighting a large crowd and winning the first gold medal for the host city.

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AP , MACAU
Sunday, Oct 30, 2005,Page 22

It started out as a frantic search for an ancient Chinese poet who committed suicide by plunging into a river. About 2,300 years later, dragon boat racing is a full-fledged international sport making its debut as a medal event at the fourth East Asian Games in Macau.

A dragon boat is a narrow vessel similar to a rowing boat, but it's decorated with some Oriental flair. At the East Asian Games, the racing craft are styled with green dragon heads featuring whiskers, golden scales and brown horns, as well as a tail.

The technique is similar to canoeing -- the paddlers plunge their paddles downwards, as opposed to horizontally as in the case of rowing.

Like rowing, speed hinges on uniformity of strokes. But dragon boat racing relies mainly on upper body strength while rowing is driven by the lower body, Taiwan's men's coach Liu Te-chih explained on the sidelines of the first day of competition yesterday.

Explosiveness is key. In Macau, athletes are competing over 250m and 500m courses.

Macau competitor Jose Gonzun, a personal fitness trainer, said the paddling is highly intense. "Suddenly, your heart rate, boom!" said Gonzun, a Pampanga, Philippines native who moved to Macau.

The roots of dragon boat racing are in ancient China. When disillusioned poet Qu Yuan jumped into a river, people raced to the site in boats to search for him. They made loud sounds to scare away fish and dropped rice dumplings into the water to lure them away from Qu's body. Now the Chinese mark the anniversary of Qu's death by racing dragon boats and eating dumplings.

And there's another legacy dating back to the original event, making dragon boat racing one of the only sports with a built-in cheerleader.

Each team includes a drummer, although now the drummer's role is to keep the crew in rhythm, not startle fish.

The sport of dragon boat racing has gone global. The International Dragon Boat Federation, or IDBF, was founded in 1991 and hosts world championships on odd-numbered years and club world championships on even years.

The world championships took place in Berlin, Germany in August and will be next held in 2007 in Sydney, Australia.

Canada and Russia are among the top men's teams, and there are more paddlers in Europe than in Asia, according to Li Jie, head of the Chinese dragon boat racing federation.

The sport has gone high tech too, with carbon fiber paddles, which are better for stabilizing the boat, replacing wooden ones, Taiwanese coach Liu said.

Still, dragon boat racing has an amateur flavor. While some teams draw from canoe athletes, China's East Asian Games team comprises mainly farmers and manual workers. Li said dragon boat racing is popular in China's rural areas.

Koreas together in Macau

2005/10/30
By Talek Harris MACAU, AFP


North and South Korea marched together in a symbolic display of unity as Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi declared the fourth East Asian Games open in a glittering ceremony here on Saturday.

The Korean athletes and officials entered Macau Stadium holding hands and following the "Unification Flag", raising cheers from the sell out crowd of about 16,000.

They were part of a parade of nearly 3,000 athletes and officials visiting this southern Chinese territory for the Games, where 234 gold medals will be contested in 17 sports until November 9.

"I declare open the Macau 2005, fourth East Asian Games," said Wu, as fireworks lit up the night sky and the Games cauldron was set ablaze.

North and South Korea, separated by the world's last Cold War frontier, have often sought rapprochement through sport and will meet here to discuss fielding joint teams for next year's Asian Games and the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

They have marched together five times in Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. North Korea skipped the last two East Asian Games in South Korea and Japan.

China, expected to put in another strong showing here after topping the medals table at all three previous editions, led the parade and were headed by star hurdler Liu Xiang, who was mobbed on his arrival earlier on Saturday.

Glamorous double Olympic champion Guo Jinging was also among China's 394 athletes, who include 11 Athens Olympics gold medallists and a crop of younger talent being groomed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Manuel Silverio, chairman of the Macau East Asian Games Organising Committee, paid tribute to Macau's Chinese rulers in his opening speech.

"Since Macau has returned to the Motherland, we have been enjoying rapid economic growth, social harmony, prosperity and stability," he said.

"Today, with the joint effort of the people of Macau, for the first time we are organising an international multisport event of this level, fully demonstrating the realisation of the one country, two systems, high autonomy and Macau people ruling Macau."

The East Asian Games are the biggest sporting event ever held in Macau, a former Portuguese colony ceded to China as an autonomous territory in 1999 and home to a booming gaming industry.

Athletes will compete in sports including acquatics, athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, rowing, shooting, football, hockey, tennis and basketball.

There are also several more unusual events such as ballroom dancing, dragon boating, soft tennis and bowling. Asian martial arts are strongly represented by the Japanese discipline karate, taekwondo from South Korea and the Chinese wushu.

In preliminary events on Saturday, China's towering basketball team whipped hosts Macau 94-43.

In other men's basketball matches, Taiwan beat South Korea 75-56 and Japan accounted for Hong Kong 88-59.

Rui Komatsu scored two goals in Japan's 6-1 thrashing of Taiwan in the opening soccer match.

The first day of competition saw Huang Yanhui win the first gold for Macao in women's Wushu in nanquan event at the ongoing 4th East Asian Games.


The 25-year-old Huang, who moved to Macao from Fujian province, scored 9.75 points in Nanquan, or Southern Boxing, beating Japan's Erika Kojima to second place in 9.62.

Chinese Taipei's Chen Shaochi came third in 9.40.

Chinese Chen Min won the women's Qiangshu, or spear play, with 9.57 points. Macao's Han Jing and Hong Kong's Ho Pakkeipeggie picked silver and bronze respectively.

(Xinhua)

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MACAO, Oct. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- China and Macao dominated dragon boat racing competitions Sunday at the East Asian Games, sharing the eight gold medals at stake in the sport that makes its debut in the regional multi-sports event.

China swept all four races in the standard boat category (men's 250m and 500m, women's 250m and 500m) and added another in the small boat category, the women's 500m race.

The host claimed the men's 250m and 500m, women's 250m races inthe small boat category.

"It's wonderful," Macao competitor Leung Chi Kin said after winning the women's 250m race.

"We started to prepare for the EAG a year ago and trained really hard. Now our hard work all paid off," she said.

There are two categories in dragon boat racing at the East Asian Games: standard dragon boat and small dragon boat. The standard dragon boat carries 20 paddlers and the small one carries 10. Each boat also carries a steersman and a drummer.

Dragon boat racing originated in China, dating back to about 2,300 years ago. When disillusioned poet Qu Yuan jumped into Miluo River, people raced to the site in boats to search for him. They made loud sounds to scare away fish and dropped rice dumping into the water to lure them away from Qu's body. Now the Chinese mark the anniversary of Qu's death by racing dragon boats and eating dumplings. Enditem

Athletes of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea wave to spectators during the opening ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games at the Macao Stadium in south China's Macao Special Administrative Region Oct. 29, 2005. The nine-day 4th East Asian Games was inaugurated in Macao Oct. 29. DPRK and South Korean athletes marched into the opening ceremony jointly. DPRK has 90 athletes, who will take part in 10 sports of the event, and the South Korean delegation has 302 athletes, who will compete in 16 out of the 17 sports.

Young people holding the Chinese national flag march into the Macao Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games in south China's Macao Special Administrative Region Oct. 29, 2005. The nine-day 4th East Asian Games was inaugurated in Macao Oct. 29. Some 2,000 athletes from China, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Hong Kong of China, Macao of China, Chinese Taipei and Guam will contest for 234 gold medals in all 17 sports in the event.

A boy ignites the torch during the opening ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games at the Macao Stadium in south China's Macao Special Administrative Region Oct. 29, 2005. The nine-day 4th East Asian Games was inaugurated on Oct. 29. Some 2,000 athletes from China, South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Hong Kong of China, Macao of China, Chinese Taipei and Guam will contest for 234 gold medals in all 17 sports in the event.

China edged Japan 73-72 in women's basketball opener of the East Asian Games in Macao on Sunday.

China's coach Li Yaguang was not satisfied with the whole team's performance.

"The result is good but the process is not," said Li. "I think nobody did a good job today, including myself."

China's starting forwards combined to score 27 points with Wu Jingjing's team high 15 and Song Liwei's 12.

Japan's all-around guard Oga Yuko, who collected 16 points, eight assists and 3 steals, was just one step away from the game's MVP since she failed to convert the last shot to a victory.

Source: Xinhua

Japan didn't hide their lust for the men's soccer crown as the Universiade winner crushed Chinese Taipei 6-1 on the opening day of the East Asian Games on Saturday.

Although there was no gold medal on offer, the first day saw much action in soccer, basketball, dragon boating and wushu.

The Japanese eleven confined Chinese Taipei to their own half, allowing one goal when Japanese goalkeeper almost dozed off.

Japan led 2-0 at the break and tallied four more in the second half. Rui Komatsu struck twice, and Shingo Akamine, Yoichi Akiba, Shingo Hyodo and Tsujio Shinji also found the net.

Chinese Taipei midfielder Lin Kueipin scored a consolation goal in the 48th minute when Japanese keeper Akahoshi Taku, workless in the first half, slackened up.

China took it easy in its 94-43 win over Macao in the men's basketball opener at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.

"We didn't play as hard as we can," said China's 2.12m forward Yi Jianlian. "They (Macao players) are our brothers."

The 18-year-old NBA hopeful scored 15 points from 20 minutes as Wang Shipeng topped the game with 18 points.

No match with China in basketball, the host proved to be a winner in the first heat of the men's 500m standard dragon boating at Nam Van Lake Nautical Center.

Macao won the first heat in two minutes, 01.630 seconds to qualify for the final on Sunday, and send second-placed Japan and third-placed Hong Kong into the repechage.

China won the second heat in 2:00.700 to also reach the final, leaving Chinese Taipei to contest the repechage.

Japan and Chinese Taipei finished 1-2 in the repechage to advance to the final, ousting Hong Kong.

In the women's 500m standard dragon boat, China won round one in 2:10.130, ahead of Macao and Chinese Taipei.

China followed up by winning round one of the women's 500m small dragon boat in 2:31.390, ahead of Macao and Chinese Taipei.

In the men's 500m small dragon boat, Macao won the first round in 2:06.340, ahead of China, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. All eight finals take place Sunday afternoon.

In wushu combats, six Chinese, including two women, have qualified for six finals on Sunday.

Source: Xinhua

The full support of the SAR government and the encouragement of the people of Macau is behind the early success of the host team in the fourth East Asian Games, according to delegation head Ma Iao Hang.

Speaking after golden performances in wushu and dragon boat racing, Ma said it was a proud moment for Macau, especially after the success of the Opening Ceremony at Macau Stadium the previous evening.

"The support of the SAR and the citizens of Macau has played a major part in the success of the athletes so far," said Ma, who is Macau's Chef de Mission.

"The athletes themselves have put in a great effort and I'm sure they will continue to do so in future years.

"They have trained really hard and shown a strong mind and determination. All of these factors have combined to produce these results."

Prior to the Games, Ma said he hoped Macau would beat the total number of medals won at the previous three East Asian Games.

In 1993 Macau won one bronze in Shanghai; in 1997 Macau claimed just one bronze again at Pusan, Korea; and four years later in Osaka, Japan, Macau won one gold and three bronze.

In the eight dragon boat races alone on Sunday, Macau took eight medals, with three gold and five silver. The host city also had the glory of winning the first gold of the Games in women's nanquan.

Talking about the Opening Ceremony, Ma added: "I thought it was excellent.

"Macau can take a lot of pride from this, as the city is less than 28 sq kilometers and the population is below half a million, and it's the first time we have organised such a big sports event."

Host Macau won a medal in all eight events of the fourth East Asian Games dragon boat competition at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre on Sunday afternoon.

Fulfilling the expectations of the athletes and supporters alike, Macau claimed three gold and five silver for an eight-medal haul, one more than China's total.

China won five gold, one silver and one bronze, as these two teams left their rivals scrapping for the minor placings.

Chinese Taipei won two silver and five bronze, and Hong Kong and Japan claimed just one bronze each.

Summing up the feelings of the Macau athletes in general, an emotional women's team captain Sandra Bartolo said the medals had been earned the hard way.

"No pain, no gain," she declared.

"We have been working really hard for one and a half years and training intensely, and everything has come together in these Games.

"All of them have made a great personal sacrifice, and they deserve their success today."

Macau won gold in the women's 250-metre small dragon boat, the men's 250-metre small dragon boat and the men's 500-metre small dragon boat.

China won both the men's and women's 250-metre standard dragon boat, the women's 500-metre small dragon boat and both the men's and women's 500-metre standard dragon boat.

It was the first time dragon boat racing had been held in the East Asian Games.

Chinese weightlifter Yang Lian set a world record at the East Asian Games at Macau Pavilion on Sunday.

Competing in the women's 48-kg class, Yang lifted 117 kg in the clean and jerk to break the old world mark of 116 kg.

She lifted 105 kg with her first attempt and improved to 110 in her second, before hoisting 117 kg on her third and final lift. The East Asian Games and Asian records had stood at 110 kg.

Together with her best lift of 90 kg in the snatch, her total of 207 kg was more than enough to win the gold medal.

"I am very happy and excited to break the world record, but my aim is to get a gold medal in the Olympic Games," said Yang, who stands just 1.51 metres tall.

Asked why she had not tried to break the old world record by more than 1 kg, Yang replied: "I just wanted to win the gold medal, so I didn't add any extra weight."

Japan's Hiromi Miyake took the silver with 191 kg, followed by Choe Un Sim of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

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China's proud tradition in diving continued at the fourth East Asian Games on Sunday.

At the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre, China recorded a 1-2 finish in the men's three-metre springboard competition.

Luo Yutong, 20, won the gold medal with a points tally of 513.36 for the six rounds, ahead of compatriot Pan Zhaowei, who earned the silver with 511.20.

Japan's experienced Olympian Ken Terauchi had to settle for bronze with a score of 478.08.

Luo will be aiming for a golden double in the one-metre springboard event.

There will be two more gold medals in the evening session on Sunday, and 10 in total over the three days of competition.

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Hong Kong sports supremo Timothy Fok has praised Macau for the wonderful sporting environment it has created for the fourth East Asian Games.

Fok, who is also a vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia, described Saturday's Opening Ceremony as "a wonderful show", and said that public expectations were high for the Games.

"I must emphasize Macau's venues and the high-quality equipment provided to all teams. The government has been investing a lot in the sports tourism area," said Fok, a visitor to the dragon boat racing on Sunday afternoon.

"As President of the Hong Kong National Olympic Committee, I must tell you the expectation is always high. The participating teams have great conditions to produce their best performances."

Fok said the $2.8 billion (US$350 million) invested in the Games infrastructure by the Macau SAR government was money well spent in terms of a sporting and social legacy.

"I congratulate Macau for all they have achieved so far. The competition and the friendship in these Games is amazing.

"I personally want to thank the Macau SAR for their great hospitality and high- quality venues. These conditions provide an excellent environment to increase the quality of an event like the East Asian Games."

Hong Kong will stage the fifth edition of the East Asian Games in 2009, and Fok added: "I think the Hong Kong SAR will benefit a lot from this great relationship with the Macau SAR, so the next East Asian Games will be special for both special administrative regions.

"Asia is living a very intense moment in the sports events area. There is the Asian Indoor Games in 2007, the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, the East Asian Games in Hong Kong in 2009 and the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010."

MACAO, Oct. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Payday has come early.

Macao reaped early dividends for costly nine-year work for the East Asian Games as the host athletes nabbed six gold medals on Sunday, sextupling their historical gold haul from the past three editions.

China, set to dominate the nine-day games, got up steam sweeping 21 golds, including an easy one from diving queen Guo Jingjing and a weightlifting gold from Yang Lian who had erased a world record on the way.

The other participants - Japan, South Korea, DPR Korea, Mongolia, Guam, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong - were without gold.

To prove Macao is more than a gambling enclave, the games organizers spent 375 million US dollars on sports venues including super-modern Macao Dome, which cost 75 million.

At three previous games, Macao got one gold and five bronzes, twice placing last in the medal standings.

Huang Yanhui sent Macao to a flying start in the morning as the24-year-old put up a fast and furious display of southern Chinese fist fighting in the Nanquan event and won the games' first gold.

Huang, who moved here from southeast China's Fujian Province three years ago, scored 9.75 points. Japan's Erika Kojima took the silver with 9.62 and Chen Shao chi of Chinese Taipei picked the bronze with 9.40.

Macao sports official Pun Wenkun said Huang's gold proved Macao was no longer a sporting nobody.

Qi Zhijian followed Huang with the men's 60kg-class Sanshou (combat) title and Jia Rui walked away as the men's Changquan (longboxing) champion.

China bagged nine gold medals on the first medal day of wushu competition.

Macao athletes also grabbed three golds from dragon boat races,in which the other five events went to China.

China swept the board in Sunday's weightlifting competition as Lu Jinbi and Zhang Xiangxiang took the men's 56kg and 62kg class respectively and Yang Lian broke a world record to win the women's 48g division.

Yang, 21, bettered the clean-and-jerk world record by one kilogram with a 117kg heave. Her winning total was 207kg.

Guo Jingjing, one of 11 Chinese Olympic champions here, beat her teammate Ma Qianli by 23.85 points in the women's 1m springboard final.

The 24-year-old Guo, hugely popular with Macao media and mobbedon her arrival, scored 319.59 points, ahead of Ma with 295.74 and Japan's Ryokyo Nishii with 292.53.

Luo Yutong dominated the 3m springboard and Chang Jiang/Wang Liang grabbed the men's 10m synchronized platform event.

China won the men's gymnastics team crown with 227.846 points with Japan and South Korea finishing second and third.

In basketball, China beat Japan on two fronts, with the men's side winning 70-57 and the women's squad winning 73-72.

Chinese Taipei won both the men's and women games too, beating Hong Kong men 57-55 and crushing DPR Korean women 96-63.

The South Korean downed Mongolia 86-57 in the other men's match.

MACAU: Yang Lian’s world record in the women’s weightlifting sparked China’s resurgence Sunday after tiny host Macau won the first three gold medals in a surprising start to the 4th East Asian Games.

Huang Yanhui took the women’s wushu nanquan title and Macau’s paddlers triumphed in men’s and women’s dragonboat finals before Yang captured China’s first gold with a record in the 48-kilogram (106-pound) class. She boosted 117 kilograms (258 pounds) with her last lift in the clean-and-jerk, improving the world mark by one kilogram. Yang, 23, also lifted 90 kilograms (198 pounds) in the snatch for a combined total of 207 kilograms (456 pounds), equaling the Asian record.

“I’m very happy to break the record, now I want the Olympic,” gold medal, said Yang, setting her sights on the Beijing 2008 Games. “I just wanted to get the gold medal today, so I didn’t add any (extra) weight.” Lu Jinbi won the men’s 56 kg weightlifting title, giving China a perfect start at the Macau Stadium Pavilion. Through 19 of Sunday’s 27 finals, China had 14 gold medals, including five in dragonboats and the first six awarded in the sanshou discipline of wushu. Macau had five gold medals: two in Wushu and three in dragon boats. The diving program opened with Luo Yutong (513.36 points) retaking the lead on his fifth dive in the 3-meter springboard and leading Pan Zhaowei (511.20) in a Chinese 1-2 finish. Japan’s Ken Terauchi (478.08) took bronze.

Dual Olympic gold medalist Guo Jingjing was in action in the women’s 1-meter springboard final later Sunday. China had been expected to dominate the nine-day regional event, but Macau a gambling enclave of about 460,000 people just west of Hong Kong reaped the initial dividends from its investment in staging the Games. Macau organisers spent more than $374 million on Games sports venues, hoping to widen the city’s appeal beyond the casino industry. It had a positive impact on the local athletes.

At three previous East Asian Games, Macau athletes had netted only one gold and five bronze medals in total, twice placing last in the standings. Huang, originally of China’s Fujian province, impressed the judges in Wushu’s fist-fighting discipline, scoring 9.75 points to hold off Erika Kojima of Japan and Chan Shao-chi of Taiwan. “I’m very happy and excited to win the first gold medal of the Games,” said Huang. “I was feeling under a bit of pressure before ... so I am relieved to live up to expectations.”

The dragonboat, with origins in China almost 2,300 years ago, made its debut as a medal event at the EAG with a flurry of synchronised splashes and vessels styled with colorful, carved dragon heads and tails. Macau won the opening two races the men’s and women’s 250-meter small boats before China regained the ascendancy, winning five of the last six finals. Taiwan had two silver medals and five bronze in dragonboats, while Hong Kong and Japan had one apiece.

Elsewhere, China edged Japan 73-72 after seven lead changes in the opening women’s basketball match, with Wu Jingjing contributing 15 points. Taiwan powered away from North Korea, winning 96-63. Celtic defender Du Wei was to appear for China in its opening soccer match against Macau after being released by his Glasgow, Scotland club. Almost 1,900 athletes from nine countries are competing for 234 gold medals in 17 sports. ap

HOST Macau won the first three gold medals at the 4th East Asian Games yesterday before Yang Lian's world record in women's weightlifting kicked the Chinese mainland juggernaut into gear.

Chinese mainland won 21 of the 27 gold medals on offer on the second day of the regional meet.

Macau, which had only one gold medal from three previous East Asian Games, won the other six finals, returning three golds apiece from wushu and dragon boats.

Huang Yanhui took the women's wushu nanquan title and Macau's paddlers triumphed in men's and women's dragonboat finals before Yang captured Chinese mainland's first gold with a record in the 48-kilogram class.

She lifted 117 kg with her last attempt in the clean-and-jerk, improving the world mark by 1kg.

Yang also lifted 90kg in the snatch for a total of 207kg, equaling the Asian record.

"I'm very happy to break the record, now I want the Olympic" gold medal, said Yang, setting her sights on the 2008 Beijing Games.

Chinese mainland swept the weightlifting and diving finals.

Guo Jingjing easily won the women's 1-meter springboard with 319.59 points against an inexperienced field. Local girl Lei Sioi, who'll turn 11 the day after the games conclude next Sunday, placed sixth of 10 in the final.

Luo Yutong won the men's 3-meter springboard, while Chang Jing and Wang Liang combined to win the synchronized 10-meter platform from Kim Chon Man and Ri Jong Nam of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea's Son Seng-chel and Kim Jin-yong.

Capping off the day, China's mainland gymnasts claimed the men's team title and the soccer lineup led by Celtic defender Du Wei thrashed Macau 10-0.

The mainland's golden haul also included five in dragonboats and nine in wushu.

Chinese Taipei was next best with eight silver and nine bronze medals, while Japan had four of each of the minor medals and South Korea had three of each.

The DPRK, returning to the EAG for the first time since 1993, had two silver and four bronze.

Chinese mainland upstaged archrival Japan in two basketball preliminaries.

NBA prospect Yi Jianlian had a game-high 23 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the 70-57 win in the men's match.

The Associated Press

MACAU (AP) - He's being billed as China's next big thing after Yao Ming. With Yao missing from the Chinese lineup, Yi Jianlian is the focus of attention on the basketball court at the Macau East Asian Games.

And the interest in 18-year-old Yi, nicknamed "Little Yao Ming," is expected to build up because he could be eligible for next year's NBA draft.

The nearly 2.14-metre (seven-foot) centre already has earned high praise for his athleticism and toughness. In Macau, he's demonstrated a shooting touch as well.

However, Yi played down comparisons with Yao after an impressive performance Sunday in China's 70-57 victory against Japan.

Yi was humble when asked whether he had assumed Yao's leadership role in the absence of the big Houston Rockets star.

"Without Yao Ming, our whole team has had to play physical, because I'm not Yao Ming," he told reporters after the victory against Japan.

Yi's most exciting feature of all: potential. Still in his teens, Yi could grow more, bulk up, and develop a full arsenal of skills. Yao has said that at 16, he didn't possess Yi's skills.

On Sunday, Yi gave a glimpse of what he could become. He showed his range, swiveling near the baseline for a dunk, making the short jumper, converting from just inside the three-point line and dominating the boards. He finished with a game-high 23 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

In an earlier game against Macau, Yi notched only 15 points, but shot 7-for-9, leading the team in field goal percentage. He collected four rebounds, two blocks and two turnovers.

His intensity and aggressiveness stood out Sunday. Yi's first two baskets were dunks. But he's consistently energetic, be it driving to the basket, jostling for position, fighting for a rebound, or chasing a rival on the fast break. He appears physically fit, playing 38.5 minutes without signs of fatigue.

Asked about his heavy workload, Yi said, "Maybe I'm still young. It's still acceptable."

Yi is still slender by NBA standards, but has plenty of time to develop.

He said he hopes China can clinch gold in Macau against a relatively weak field, with perhaps South Korea posing the strongest challenger.

"Playing in Asian tournaments, we should aim to win the championship," he said.

Yi may not be in the NBA yet, but he's already receiving star treatment in Macau. The crowd hollered when Yi dunked during warmups, cheered wildly when he was introduced.

China's next match is against Taiwan on Monday.

The 2007 Changchun Winter Asian Games Organising Committee (CWAGOC) staged a promotional activity for the 2007 6th Winter Asian Games in Leal Senado Square at 10am on 30 October 2005. The CWAGOC delegation is visiting Macau to observe the preparations for the 4th East Asian Games in Macau, and prepare better for the 6th Winter Asian Games in Changchun.

Entitled "Icy Asian Winter Games, Hot trip to Macau", the promotional activity was unveiled by Chairman of the Board of Directors of Macao 4th East Asian Games (MEAGOC) Manuel Silvério. A variety of dancing performances were presented in the activity. With the aim of drawing experience from the organisation of MEAGOC, CWAGOC hopes the trip can enhance exchanges on organizational experiences between MEAGOC and CWAGOC.

The 6th Winter Asian Games will be held from 28 January to 4 February 2007 in Changchun. It is expected that tens of thousands of guests, tourist group members, AWG partners, sponsors, media representatives and 3,000 athletes from 44 Asian countries and regions will gather in Changchun to partake in this sports meet.

A world record and 21 gold medals for China....the first gold of the Games for Macau...the host city finishing the first medal day in a lofty second place...

What a "Super Sunday" for China and Macau!

When the dust had settled on a 27-medal day, China led the way with 21 gold, three silver and two bronze for a total of 26.

Macau made a mockery of their previous three East Asian Games appearances -- one gold and five bronze -- by winning six gold, seven silver and five bronze for a haul of 18.

None of the seven other teams collected a gold, but Chinese Taipei held third place, ahead of the mighty Japan and the two Koreas.

Chinese weightlifter Yang Lian broke the world record in the women's 48-kg event, lifting 117 kg in the clean and jerk to beat the previous mark by one kg.

Macau won three gold medals in wushu, including the first of the Games for Huang Yanhui in the women's nanquan, and three in dragon boat.

While the action was fast and furious at Macau Forum, venue for the 19-medal wushu competition, it was all grace and and elegance at the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre, where diving diva Guo Jingjing won the women's one-metre springboard event in silky style.

The three-time Olympian did not need to push herself, winning comfortably against a field that included Macau prospect Lei Sioi, who is just 10 years old and will not turn 11 until November 7 -- the day after the Closing Ceremony.

She finished sixth...offering hope for more Macau medals -- in 2009!

Under the thorough cooperation between the EAGA Medical Committee and the technical delegates, all sports held today have performed anti-doping tests smoothly. The members of the Medical Committee have gone to the venues to supervise the processes and were satisfied with them. The Medical Committee will have meetings everyday to ensure anti-doping in the Games follows the standard.

China won nine of the 12 gold medals on offer in the wushu tournament on Sunday, and Macau kept out the other teams by claiming the other three.

China took six of the seven available in sanshou (combat) and three of the five in taolu (forms), and will be hoping to win more when the final seven disciplines of the 19-event programme are held on Monday.

Huang Yanhui made it a perfect start to the East Asian Games for Macau by taking the first gold medal of the Games on Sunday morning, beating five rivals in the women's nanquan.

Macau's two other gold medal-winners in wushu were Jia Rui (men's changquan) and Qin Zhijian (men's sanshou 60 kg).

China's golden athletes were Kang Yonggang (men's sanshou 52 kg), Yu Feibiao (men's sanshou 56 kg), Zhao Guangyong (men's sanshou 65 kg), Hu Jianqing (men's sanshou 70 kg), Liu Na (women's sanshou 48 kg), Zhang Xiaoyan (women's sanshou 52 kg), Song Lin (men's nandao and nangun all-around), Cui Wenjuan (women's taijiquan) and Chen Min (women's jianshu and qiangshu all-around).

Here's a few comments from some of the gold medal-winners:

Cui Wenjuan: "I felt the competitors were very strong and have made a lot of improvement. I was satisfied with my performance, seeing as my condition is not so good. I learned taiji because it can benefit your health, build strength and improve balance through practice of forms."

Zhang Xiaoyan: "I thought I did a pretty good job in today's competition. My image of the East Asian Games is very good and my next target is the Asian Championships."

Kang Yonggang: "The level of the competition has gone up compared to the last East Asian Games but I was confident I would win."

Yu Feibiao: "I tried hard and my performance was above standard. The gold medal is valuable to all athletes."

Qin Zhijian: "I felt delighted and relieved after the competition and I would like to thank the Macau people for their support."

Zhao Guangyong: "It felt great to win the gold medal and I am very satisfied. My next target is to win the world championship, and I would like to thank the Macau 4th East Asian Games for giving me the opportunity to compete."

Chen Min: "I am so happy and want to thank my family and friends. I have been working hard for many years and the pain is now worth it. I enjoy this sport because it shows the Chinese characteristics, and I want to win more medals."

Song Lin: "I changed to nangun six or seven years ago and it is a very tiring sport. I hope to take part in the Beijing Olympics. I am really enjoying Macau and want to visit again after this event."

Jia Rui (in tears): "This was very difficult to win, and now I want to take the gold medal in the World Championships. I hurt my left leg and have not been sleeping too well lately. I want to thank my parents in Hunan. I have lived in Macau for two years and started changquan 10 years ago."

Olympic champion diver Guo Jingjing delighted her legions of fans with a gold medal in the women's one-metre springboard final at the fourth East Asian Games on Sunday evening.

The 24-year-old Chinese poster girl, who won two gold medals at the Athens Olympics in the three-metre springboard and three-metre synchronised springboard events, finished well ahead of the 10-strong field at the Macau Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Guo scored a total of 319.59 points for her five dives, gaining great height off the board and twisting gracefully and powerfully in the air before arrowing into the water.

Her team-mate, Ma Qianli, took the silver with 295.74, and Japan's Ryoko Nishii was third with 292.53.

Although Macau did not win a medal, they have a prospect for the future in Lei Sioi, who finished sixth of 10 entries with a score of 237.69 -- at the age of 10!

Lei was born on November 7, 1994, so will not turn 11 until the day after the closing cermony on November 6.

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 21 3 2 26
2 Macau 6 7 5 18
3 Chinese Taipei 0 8 9 17
4 Japan 0 4 4 8
5 South Korea 0 3 3 6
6 North Korea 0 2 4 6
7 Mongolia 0 0 4 4
8 Hong Kong 0 0 1 1
9 Guam 0 0 0 0

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