Macao Qialifies for Chinese National Games Field Hockey TournamentHosts Macao qualified for the field hockey tournament of China's Ninth National Games after a qualifier tournament ended Tuesday in the country's Special Administrative Region (SAR) here.After the week-long fierce competitions, seven teams including Macao SAR out of a total of ten participating sides, qualified for the National Games' semi-finals and finals scheduled for November in Guangzhou, southern China. Guangxi and Sichuan teams were eliminated while the SAR teams from Hong Kong and Macao, generally thought to be weaker ones, became "black horses" thanks to tenacious efforts by the players. Manuel Silverio, president of Macao Sports Development Board, said that the tournament is of special significance for Macao, as it was the first time for the SAR both to complete in and play host city to the matches of the National Games. He said that his board had made full preparations for the qualifiers, including a newly-built field hockey field, with a cost of one million US dollars. Macao will also hold Wushu (martial arts) tournament as part of the National Games. |
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