The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:

     November 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 that will be held in November: the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Squash Open 2017 (November 12 to 19); the 2017 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships - Hong Kong (November 18 to 19); the YONEX-SUNRISE Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2017, part of the MetLife BWF World Superseries (November 21 to 26); and the UBS Hong Kong Open (November 23 to 26).

     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Karl Kwok, said today (November 3) that these events, 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 Kwok said.

     "'M' Mark events 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 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 2005 to 13 in 2017. So far, around $113.5 million has been approved to support recognised "M" Mark events.

     For details of other "M" Mark events, please visit 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 3, 2017
Issued at HKT 11:00

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