Macao kicked off the inaugural GBA International Sports Business Summit on Friday, aiming to unify the 11-city Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a leading platform for sports business collaboration.
The two-day event, themed “Connecting the World Through Sports”, brought together hundreds of sports industry leaders from China and around the world.
Jay Li Jintian, co-chairperson of the summit’s organizing committee, highlighted the advantages and potential of the GBA for developing sports business — its accessibility, well-established infrastructure, and fast-growing sports market
The summit boasts a lineup of world-renowned speakers, as it features panels and conversations on a range of topics, such as sports development in the region, sports marketing, and the rising tide of women’s sports.
Notable figures to address the attendees include Yao Ming, president of the Chinese Basketball Association and former basketball player; Li Ning, retired Chinese gymnast and executive chairman of the Li-Ning Group; Joseph Tsai, chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba and owner of the National Basketball Association’s team the Brooklyn Nets; Hui Ruoqi, a retired captain of China women’s national volleyball team; and Dwyane Wade, former NBA basketball player.
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Li said he hopes the summit will provide an opportunity to bring people together so they can exchange ideas and make new friends.
Speaking to China Daily, Li said the GBA has many advantages and offers great potential for developing its sports business. The region can be conveniently accessed and has good infrastructure, he said, adding that the sports industry is developing vigorously within the 11-city cluster.
More importantly, the region will host the 2025 National Games, Li added.
Li said that he hopes the summit will serve as a window for the international community to learn about all the good resources available in the region.
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According to Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of Mission Hills Group and a speaker at the event, more than 80 percent of Shenzhen’s 17.6 million people are actively involved in sports.
Kevin Kelley, chief operation officer at Galaxy Entertainment Group, drew attention to the need for interregional cooperation and convenient intercity transit links that facilitate seamless travel for visitors, organizers, and athletes.
The summit, co-hosted by Realeague, Lanxiong Sports and Macau Pass, and supported by the Macao Special Administrative Region government, concludes today.
