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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 YONEX-SUNRISE Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2013, part of the OSIM BWF World Superseries, which is to be held from November 19 to 24.
The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr William Ko, said today (November 15) that the event, 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. The "M" Mark applications for smartphone users are available for downloading from iTunes as well as Google Play.
Ends/Friday, November 15, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:58
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