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"M" Mark status awarded to four events
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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 following four events: the 2014 Hong Kong Open Golf Championship, the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2014 - part of the MetLife Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Superseries, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2015 and the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015.

     "M" Mark events showcase Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events and reinforce its position as the events capital of Asia. It also helps 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.

     Details of the events are as follows:

(1) 2014 Hong Kong Open Golf Championship

     The Hong Kong Open Golf Championship inaugurated in 1959 enters into its 56th year of the Championship in 2014. The Championship will be held from October 16 to 19 at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling. The Championship has been awarded "M" Mark status for 11 consecutive years. Last year's champion Miguel Angel Jiménez and four-time Major champion Ernie Els have confirmed their participation.

(2) Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2014 - part of the MetLife BWF World Superseries

     The Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships has been awarded "M" Mark status for 11 years consecutively. The tournament is part of the BWF World Superseries and it will attract up to 300 top players from over 20 countries and regions to participate. The total prize money this year for the tournament will be US$350,000. The tournament will be held from November 18 to 23 at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
 
(3) Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2015

     The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon is an annual sporting event with the most participants in Hong Kong, attracting professional runners from all over the world. The Hong Kong Marathon was inaugurated in 1997 and will come to its 19th edition in 2015. "M" Mark status has been awarded to the event for 11 years consecutively. It will be held on January 25, 2015, and the entry quota will be 73,000.

(4) Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015

     The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has been awarded "M" Mark status for 10 consecutive years. The Sevens 2015 will be held from March 27 to 29, 2015, with 28 top rugby teams participating. It is estimated that over 120,000 spectators will be attracted to the event.

     The "M" Mark System has been in operation since 2004 to help local national sports associations (NSAs) 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 13 in 2014. So far, a total of $84.19 million has been approved to support recognised "M" Mark events.

     To mark the 10th anniversary of the "M" Mark System, the MSEC has launched the "M" Mark Sports Event Awards to recognise the contributions of NSAs and event sponsors in bringing major international sports events to Hong Kong. Organising NSAs and sponsors of "M" Mark events that take place in 2014 are eligible to be considered for awards in eight categories, namely the Most Outstanding "M" Mark Event of the Year, the Outstanding "M" Mark Event Marketing Award, the Outstanding Sponsoring Partner Award, the Outstanding Community Programme Award, the Outstanding Event Entertainment Award, the Outstanding Progress Award, the 10th Anniversary of "M" Mark Title Sponsor Appreciation Award, and the 10th Anniversary of "M" Mark Sponsor Appreciation Award.

     For details regarding the "M" Mark Sports Event Awards and application for "M" Mark status, please visit the "M" Mark events website at www.mevents.org.hk. "M" Mark applications for smartphone users are also available for downloading from iTunes as well as Google Play.

Ends/Monday, September 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:00

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