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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 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2015, to be held on January 25.
The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr William Ko, said today (January 19) 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 (NSAs) organise more major sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria 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, around $85 million has been approved to support recognised "M" Mark events.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the "M" Mark System, the MSEC launched the "M" Mark Sports Event Awards to recognise NSAs and event sponsors for staging "M" Mark events in 2014. The judging was conducted by representatives of the sports sector and related industry experts. The Awards Presentation Ceremony will be held in March this year.
For details regarding the 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, January 19, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:01
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