The 2015 Spring ‘Free Sports Ground’ Ball Games Competition took place on five Sundays from 19th April to 17th May. The competition included two sports; namely, basketball and football, with participants divided into youth, junior and open groups, respectively. A female football open group was added to this edition. The matches were well received by citizens in every single community and athletes arrived well before the match started for better preparation. During the match, all competitors showed their skills and talents, embodied team spirit, and were fully engaged in the competition.
The intense and exciting matches attracted many spectators. A total of 2,206 athletes, including many teenagers from 439 teams, participated in this popular event. The competition provided more opportunities for teenagers to participate in sports games, allowing them to have a better understanding of ball games, and enabling sports associations to discover more talented players, thus laying a solid foundation for the development of basketball and football games in the future.
Through ‘Free Sports Ground’ Ball Game Competition, the organisers encouraged citizens to participate in more sports activities in their leisure time, cultivate the desirable habit of regular exercise, and hence improve their health and physical fitness. The game also contributed to sustaining the unique sports culture of Macao, offering citizens a platform to compete on, make friends and nurture team spirit. It also promoted harmony and the integration of the community. Thus, the ‘Free Sports Ground’ Ball Game Competition effectively disseminated the Sport for All message of ‘Let’s exercise for our health.
