April 29, 2024 – Sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation (“ITTF”), organized by the Sports Bureau of the Macau SAR Government, Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG”) and the World Table Tennis Management Group Limited, and co-organized by the Macau Table Tennis General Association, the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao 2024 Presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group (“ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao”) was successfully held at GEG’s brand-new Galaxy Arena. This prestigious event, known as one of the three major table tennis tournaments in the world, brought together 96 world-leading elite players for showcasing a series of exciting matches to local and worldwide fans from April 15 to 21. To further promote Macau’s cross-sectoral integration of “tourism + sports”, GEG and the organizers jointly prepared and hosted a series of extended activities, including the “100 Days to Paris” event and several autograph sessions held at Galaxy Macau™. In addition, GEG invited local youth to participate in the “Backstage Tour” activity, as well as over 600 members from 20 local social service organizations and groups to watch the matches on-site with GEG volunteers, fostering sports exchanges in the community.

The ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao has attracted an overwhelming response since its announcement, with the semi-finals and finals witnessing full attendance. After seven consecutive days of spectacular battles, Mr. Ma Long and Ms. Sun Yingsha from the China national table tennis team crowned the men's and women’s singles world cup champions, respectively. Following the matches, various officiating guests, including Mr. Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive of the Macau SAR; Ms. Petra Sörling, President of ITTF and Member of IOC; Mr. Liu Guoliang, Deputy President of ITTF, Board Chairman of WTT and President of CTTA; Mr. Huang Liuquan, Deputy Director of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau SAR; Mr. Liu Xianfa, Commissioner of the Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the Macau SAR; Ms. Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government; Mr. Steve Dainton, Chief Executive Officer of ITTF Group; Mr. Khalil Al-Mohannadi, Senior Executive Vice President of ITTF; Mr. Alaa Meshref, Executive Vice President of ITTF; Mr. Raul Calin, Secretary General of ITTF; Mr. Mounir Bessah, Deputy Secretary General of ITTF; Mr. Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of GEG; Mr. Philip Cheng, Director of GEG; HRH Princess Zeina Rashid of Jordan, Governing Board Member of the ITTF Foundation; Mr. Zoran Primorac, Former Men’s Singles World Cup Champion, presented the awards to ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup champions, silver medalists and bronze medalists, respectively.

To heighten the sports atmosphere among international tourists and local residents, during the tournament, GEG and the organizers jointly held the “100 Days to Paris” event at the Outdoor Lawn near Galaxy Macau, along with the Olympic champion table tennis players joining this ITTF event, Ma Long and Chen Meng. The guests shared their aspirations for the Paris Olympics and previous unforgettable experiences, with a view to welcome the quadrennial world-class sports event with the community. Several autograph sessions were also held at the East Square of Galaxy Macau, where leading table tennis players Liang Jingkun, Wang Manyu, Shin Yubin and Adriana Diaz interacted with and presented autographs to table tennis enthusiasts, creating an electric atmosphere. Meanwhile, GEG also invited numerous elite players to join the shooting of cuisine-related promotional videos, and launched food and beverage privileges and on-site lucky draws during the event, giving away prizes such as luxury hotel stays, Galaxy Macau dining and shopping vouchers, showcasing the diverse charms of Macau as a “City of Sports” to spectators and sports enthusiasts worldwide.

Furthermore, to enhance local young peoples’ interest in sports, GEG invited students from the Macao University of Tourism to participate in the “Backstage Tour” activity, allowing them to visit the training hall, press conference hall, mixed zone and field of play area, etc., providing them with the opportunity to closely interact with the participating table tennis players and take photos with the event trophies. Additionally, GEG also invited over 600 members from 20 local social service organizations, including centers under the Macau Federation of Trade Unions and the General Union of Neighbourhood Association of Macau; elderly care centers under the Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society; the Youth Association of the Women’s General Association of Macau; the Macau Special Olympics; the Macau Autism Association and the Macau Deaf Association, etc., to enjoy the matches on-site with GEG volunteers and experience the charm of table tennis.

The return of ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao, with its men’s and women’s singles matches being held in Macau for the first time, marked a glamorous addition to Macau’s growing portfolio of international sports events, and the first top-tier international table tennis tournament held at the Galaxy Arena. As Macau’s newest, most advanced, and largest indoor arena, the Galaxy Arena, with its state-of-the-art software and hardware equipment, received high recognition and acclaim from the organizers, staff, players and all parties involved, while providing an extraordinary and unforgettable experience for all spectators. Moving forward, GEG will continue to support, organize and participate in a variety of sports events and related activities, as well as promote the integrated development of Macau’s sports and tourism industries through multi-pronged approaches, to solidify Macau’s position as the “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”.