China’s 15th National Games open with Hong Kong, Macao, Guangdong delegates side by side

November 10, 2025

HONG KONG – As the grand finale of the 15th National Games opening ceremony, the Hong Kong and Macao delegations entered the stadium side by side with their Guangdong counterparts on Sunday at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre in Guangzhou.

The audience gave a resounding ovation when the three delegations made their appearance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony and announced the event’s official start.

Huang Kunming, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangdong Provincial Committee, in delivering a speech, said this edition of the event, jointly hosted for the first time by Guangdong province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Macao SAR, is an honor for the three regions.

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It inspires everyone to pursue their dreams with confidence and self-reliance, and to strive to write a new chapter in the development of the Greater Bay Area, Huang said.

He emphasized the region’s commitment to being an excellent host, showcasing a new spirit, and dedicating full efforts toward delivering a streamlined, safe, and spectacular sports event. He also sincerely invited everyone to explore more of the Lingnan region.

The chief executives of both the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR attended the ceremony.

In a speech at the ceremony, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu expressed his gratitude and pride in cohosting the event, saying he was deeply touched by the great importance the country has attached to sports, the cordial care it has shown to athletes and sports professionals, and the profound affection it has extended to the people of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In concluding, Lee extended an invitation to all to visit Hong Kong for the games, where they can experience the city’s charm and vibrancy in person.

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Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai said the event is a living embodiment of the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area and the practice of “one country, two systems”.

Sam said cohosting the event has allowed friends at home and abroad to see the institutional advantages of the Greater Bay Area, including Macao’s vitality.

Led by flag bearer and rower Chiu Hin-chun, the Hong Kong delegation included athletes, support staff and two officials — Cheng King-leung, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong SAR Delegation and Manda Chan Wing-man, director of Leisure and Cultural Services and vice chairman of the Organising Committee of the HKSAR Delegation.

Hong Kong fielded its largest-ever delegation, with 602 athletes who will compete in 28 sports events, and 270 team officials and medical personnel.

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Macao sent a 400-strong delegation to take part in 23 sports events at the games, including badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling and table tennis. On Thursday, Macao’s athletes made history by winning the city’s first gold at the National Games since the region made its debut at the national quadrennial multi-sport event in 2001.

Attending the ceremony, Hong Kong’s Kwai Tsing District Councilor Wang Chung-wing said “it was both a thrill and a true honor to witness this regional milestone alongside the president … The ceremony filled me with visceral pride in being part of the Greater Bay Area and the nation in its prime.”

Im Io-teng, president of Macao Fujian Sports General Association, who was also at the ceremony, told China Daily that it was “of great significance” that people in Macao shared in the moment, whether taking part in person or watching at home.

Im expressed his firm belief that such a national-level sports extravaganza of this scale offers the city’s residents a multi-faceted window into the nation’s latest development.

Earlier, the Hong Kong government revealed that about 4,000 people — 2,100 athletes and 1,800 officials and supporting staff — would be involved in the eight sports events hosted in Hong Kong. In total, the mega sports gala is expected to draw 100,000 visitors to the city.

Meanwhile, both cities have fielded a large number of volunteers to help with the event. A record-breaking 16,000 volunteers from Hong Kong are involved in the games, with 1,000 of them being aged 15 to 17, while Macao has recruited more than 3,500 volunteers to assist in running the event there.

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