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The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
January will be an exhilarating month for major sports events. The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded "M" Mark status to the following major sports events: the UCI Track Cycling World Cup (January 16 and 17) and the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon (January 17).
The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr William Ko, said today (January 11) that those events, like all "M" Mark events, will add colour and vibrancy to Hong Kong and help attract more visitors.
"The UCI Track Cycling World Cup, which will be held in Hong Kong for the first time, has become the 100th 'M' Mark event. This showcases Hong Kong's capability to host world-class events and reinforces 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. In addition, they instil a sustainable sporting culture in the community, and help foster a sense of pride and social cohesion," he added.
The "M" Mark System was launched in 2004 to help local national sports associations 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 increased from four in 2004 to 11 in 2015. So far, around $93 million has been approved to support recognised "M" Mark events.
For more information regarding "M" Mark events, "M" Mark applications for smartphone users are available for downloading from iTunes as well as Google Play.
Ends/Monday, January 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 11:01
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