It's 365 days until the 15th National Games, and Hong Kong kicked off a countdown ceremony to celebrate, on Saturday. Hong Kong will co-host the Games for the first time next year – from November 9 to 21 – along with Guangzhou and Macau. It will also be the first time the countrywide competition has multiple host cities. Eight of the 34 competitive events will take place in the HKSAR, including fencing, track cycling, rugby sevens, golf, triathlon, beach volleyball, men's handball, and men's under-22 basketball. Speaking at the countdown ceremony at government headquarters, Chief Executive John Lee said that the government is working hard to prepare for the Games and will carry out several trial runs, starting this month. He's hopeful that the multi-host cities approach can boost cooperation within the Greater Bay Area. "The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay development plays a key strategic role in the country’s new development framework. By hosting the Games together, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau are deepening collaboration in areas like culture, sports, economy, and society, promoting high-quality development across the Greater Bay Area. It’s particularly meaningful for the three places to work together towards building a top-notch Bay Area in the world," he said. In addition to the National Games, Hong Kong will also host four competitive events for the National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympic Games in December next year. Lee noted the government will use various channels to educate people about the events and build excitement, including banners, exhibitions, as well as activities in communities and schools. He added that the authorities plan to open up more volunteer positions for the Games, saying so far 30,000 people from Hong Kong have signed up, far beyond the original target of 10,000. Next year's National Games will mark Hong Kong's eighth time participating in the countrywide competition, where the SAR has already won 47 medals, 11 of them gold.
