Mainland medalists expected to inspire Macao youths

A three-day courtesy visit to the Macao Special Administrative Region by a star-studded delegation of Chinese mainland Olympians from Sunday to Tuesday is expected to inspire local athletes and teenagers as well as spur patriotism in the city, with a series of activities to demonstrate the medalists' Olympic spirit.

Featuring 29 mainland star athletes and three coaches from 12 sports who attended the Tokyo Olympic Games this year, the delegation had just finished their two-week quarantine in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, after a goodwill visit to Hong Kong earlier this month and arrived at Macao on Sunday evening.

Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, said at a welcoming ceremony on Sunday that the Olympians' visit offers a rare chance for local residents to hear their Olympic stories and communicate with them, showing the central government's support and care for the Macao SAR.

"I expect local athletes and teenagers can learn from these Olympians and be inspired to work for a better future," she said.

On Monday morning, the delegation attended a flag-raising ceremony marking the 22nd anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and spoke at the city's Olympic Sports Centre to 500 young Macao athletes, who responded with loud applause.

The delegation includes Asia's fastest man, sprinter Su Bingtian, who set an Asian record in the men's 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, table tennis Grand Slam winner Ma Long, and Sun Yiwen, the first Chinese fencer to win an Olympic gold medal in individual women's epee.

During the talk, eight star medalists shared the grit and triumphs behind their success with young athletes and answered questions from teen athletes.

When asked how to keep one's passion for a sport, table tennis medalist Ma shared his experience, saying the secret is to set goals, keep striving for the goals and be brave enough to challenge the world record. Veteran Olympic shot putter Gong Lijiao said the key is to never give up.

To better communicate with Macao residents, the Olympians also staged a two-hour show on Monday night, demonstrating their sports prowess. On Tuesday, the athletes will visit different communities to talk with various groups.

Yang Ning, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China and leader of the delegation, said the Olympians' visit to Macao is approved by President Xi Jinping in order to improve the development of sports in Macao and deepen cooperation between the mainland and the SAR. Yang said she hopes the Olympic spirit can spur patriotism in Macao and ignite a sense of national pride.

The visit was organized by the Macao SAR government, the General Administration of Sport and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR.

It has been a tradition since 2004 for mainland Olympic medalists to visit Hong Kong and Macao after finishing the Summer Olympic Games.