The 15th National Games this autumn will showcase 23 mass participation competitions designed to encourage ordinary people to get involved, alongside 34 competitive events for athletes.

The mass participation events will cover 19 competitive sports, such as table tennis, badminton, tennis, soccer, and basketball. It will also feature four demonstration sports: Tai Chi Chuan, a form of Chinese martial arts; Qigong, an ancient Chinese practice combining physical exercise and meditation; radio calisthenics, and traditional dragon and lion dancing.

Hong Kong will organize the bowling events within the mass participation games, with selection beginning this month.

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Besides bowling, nine of the mass participation games — seven-a-side football, gateball, broadcast gymnastics, light volleyball, go, shuttlecock, table tennis, sailboat modeling and basketball — are still open for public enrolment.

National sports associations and relevant organizations are offering free selections or objective technical tests to identify eligible athletes from the public to represent the special administrative region in the mass participation games.

The final rounds of the mass participation events will take place across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao from May to November.

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The top three competitors in each sport will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals respectively while the top eight athletes will be presented with certificates; demonstration event winners will be awarded one first prize, three second prizes and four third prizes, as well as certificates and medals.

The awards also include plaques for outstanding organizations, while all final participants will be presented with e-certificates.

The 15th National Games, the nation’s premier and most extensive multi-sport event, co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao for the first time, will take place from Nov 9 to 21. The games will feature 34 competitive events for athletes, with Hong Kong hosting eight of them: fencing, track cycling, golf, men’s handball, rugby sevens, triathlon, men’s basketball, and beach volleyball.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com