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The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded "M" Mark status to the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Squash Open 2013, which is to be held from December 1 to 8.
The MSEC has also awarded "M" Mark status to the Hong Kong Open Golf Championship 2013, which is to be held from December 5 to 8.
The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr William Ko, said today (November 27) that these events, like all "M" Mark events, will add colour and vibrancy to Hong Kong and help attract more visitors.
"'M' Mark events showcase Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events and reinforce its position as the events capital of Asia," Mr Ko said.
"'M' Mark events also help generate economic benefits for Hong Kong by attracting tourists. They also instil a sustainable sporting culture in the community, and help foster a sense of pride and social cohesion," he added.
The "M" Mark System has been in operation since 2004 to help local national sports associations organise more major sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria, in terms of economic benefits, the impact on sports development and the good track record of the organisers, will be granted "M" Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some of the event organisers.
The number of recognised "M" Mark events has increased from four in 2005 to 10 in 2013. So far, a total of $62.32 million has been approved to support recognised "M" Mark events.
For details regarding application for "M" Mark status, please visit the "M" Mark events website at www.mevents.org.hk. "M" Mark applications for smartphone users are available for downloading from iTunes and Google Play.
Ends/Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:10
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