***********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee£º
The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has decided to award "M" Mark status to the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2010 to be held from March 26 to 28, 2010, at the Hong Kong Stadium.
Announcing the decision today (March 5), the Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Herman Hu Shao-ming, said the event is the pride of Hong Kong and like all "M" Mark events it will add colour and vibrancy to the city and help attract more visitors to Hong Kong.
"'M' Mark events showcase Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events and reinforce our position as the events capital of Asia," Mr Hu said.
"' M' Mark events also help generate economic benefits to Hong Kong by attracting tourists. They also promote the development of sport in the community," he added.
The "M" Mark System has been implemented 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, impact on sports development and good track record of the organisers will be granted the "M" Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will be provided for some of the event organisers.
The number of recognised "M" Mark events has increased from four in 2005 to eight in 2009 and a total of $31.64 million has been approved for supporting the staging of some of the "M" Mark events.
Application details for "M" Mark status, including the application form and guide to application, are available on the "M" Mark events website (www.mevents.org.hk).
Ends/Friday, March 5, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:06
NNNN
