With the advent of summer, the sports scene in Macao has livened up even more. Accompanied by the booming sounds of drums and gongs, the normally tranquil Nam Van Lake was rippled  with the coming of the 2012 International Dragon Boat Races awakening the public’s passion. The long, loud sound of a whistle also signaled the successful conclusion of the  Macao Round of the 2012 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix. We will look back at these exciting  sporting moments one by one through the “Sports News” column.

On June 3^rd, the Conference for the Third China’s National Physical Fitness Surveillance (CNPFS) & International Seminar of Physical Fitness Research was convened in Macao. The theme for the Conference was on  “Exercise Scientifically, Keep fit and Health for All”. Over 100 papers were published by experts in this field from Finland, Austria, Japan, United States, Macao and Mainland China. This conference comprehensively reflected the progress in the field of research on physical fitness, on the promotion of health, both locally and abroad, as well as the current status of research on physical fitness in China. All these will have a positive impact to further improve the academic quality of physical fitness research as well as provide scientific orientations for the participation of the public in physical exercise. Interested readers can obtain the relevant information from the brief introduction.

Over the years, the “Sport for All Fitness and Recreational Classes” have offered a range of diversified activities in response to the needs of the public. Starting from this issue, the Spotlight” column will introduce the features and benefits of the main “Sport for All Fitness and Recreational Classes” to the readers so that the public will be more aware of and have a deeper understanding of these activities and able to select the sports that are most appropriate for them. To start things off, swimming and aquatic activities will be introduced in this issue.

The annual World Challenge Day arrived once again. With the active support of various local governmental departments, organizations, businesses, associations, schools and the community, Macao notched yet another victory with a record high participation of nearly 250,000 people in this activity, approximately 45% of the city’s population. Congratulations to all who have participated in this event and contributed to Macao’s victory! The second season of “Sport for All” is also in full swing, with the Macao Sports Day for the Disabled, Family Sports Day, the Macao Recreational Festival, the Spring Bike Ride, the Spring “Free Sports Ground” Ball Games Tournament, as well as the Public Entities Sports Festival providing a feast for the eyes. Readers can share the pleasure and joy through this quarterly newsletter.

This issue’s “Insight on Sport Science” focuses mainly on the principles of the rehabilitation of chronic sports injuries. Readers can learn about rehabilitation exercises by following the seven essential points listed in the article.

In order to ensure that the different facilities in the venues can better serve the public, the Macao Sport Development Board has always paid great attention to the maintenance and renewal of the facilities. In this issue, we will briefly introduce the Aquatic Center of the Olympic Sports Centre, which took the initiative of adopting an ozone water disinfection system and the installation of the  latest models of Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) approved springboards.