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Greater Bay Area
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Macau poised to drive development of Greater Bay Area’s sports industry, summit hears

  • ‘Sport is the common language,’ says Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai as he looks to bring NBA games to the bay area
  • Sport is seen as having a key role in propelling Macau’s social and economic development as it diversifies away from gaming

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Joe Tsai speaks at the conference in Macau on Friday. Photo: Facebook /@ Galaxy Entertainment Group
Jiaxing Li
Macau is setting the stage to become a key driver of the Greater Bay Area’s sports sector, as the city looks to tap its tourism strengths and expand its economy beyond the gaming industry, a conference heard.
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As a centre of trade and economic cooperation with strong conference and tourism facilities, Macau can play a vital role in making strong connections in the sports industry, Vincent U, president of the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, said in his opening remarks at the Greater Bay Area International Sports Business Summit in Macau on Friday.

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Basketball game pits pros against celebrities at Greater Bay Area sports summit in Macau

Basketball game pits pros against celebrities at Greater Bay Area sports summit in Macau

“[This summit] is the first of its kind in Macau and it aligns with the city’s strategy to promote the MICE [meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions] and the sports industry,” he said.

The city will help the sports industry to seize business opportunities within the wider bay area for future ventures, he added.

Themed “connecting the world through sports” and supported by the Sports Bureau of the Macau government and the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the summit brought together more than 300 influential decision makers from the sports business community to network and chart the future course of the industry in the city.

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Joe Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, Yao Ming, president of the Chinese Basketball Association, former NBA star Dwyane Wade and Li Ning, founder and executive chairman of the Li-Ning Group were among the headline speakers.

Joe Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, speaks at the Macau summit. Photo: Facebook / @ Galaxy Entertainment Group
Joe Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, speaks at the Macau summit. Photo: Facebook / @ Galaxy Entertainment Group
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