The World School Basketball Championship 2024, organised by the International School Sport Federation (ISF) and hosted by the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), was held from 24 June to 2 July in Macao. 37 teams from 20 countries and regions gathered in Macao to compete for the championship. A total of 117 matches had completed successfully.
The medal ceremony and closing ceremony took place on 2 July at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. More than 1500 guests, players, teachers and students attended the ceremonies. Guests who attended the ceremony include Ms Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Mr Zeljko Tanaskovic, ISF EC member and ISF delegate; Mr Lv Yuyin, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region; Counselor Gao Yuan, Director of the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao SAR; Senior Colonel Liu Chenchang, Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the People’s Liberation Army Macao Garrison; Mr Liu Lixin, President of the Asian School Sport Federation and President of the China Student Sports Federation; Mr Kong Chi Meng, Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee and Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Mr Kent Wong, Chief Advisor of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, among others.
Medals were presented to the winners of the ISF World School Basketball Championship 2024. The boys’ basketball gold, silver and bronze medals were won by Greece, France and Turkey respectively, while the girls’ basketball gold, silver and bronze medals were won by China 1, France and New Zealand respectively. The Macao Boys’ School Basketball Team and the Macao Girls’ School Basketball Team, organised by the DSEDJ, came in 10th place and 11th place. The closing ceremony was held immediately after the medal ceremony. Athlete representatives of the participating countries and regions entered the stadium together, in no defined order, to show solidarity and friendship. Teams from different countries and regions demonstrated professionalism and excellent teamwork spirit in the championship. They had gained valuable friendships through competitions and cultural exchanges.
Mr Zeljko Tanaskovic, ISF EC member and ISF delegate delivered a speech and expressed his gratitude to the city of Macao, China for its warm hospitality and excellent organisation. He also congratulated to all the players for their dedication and passion. He said that regardless of the results, the athletes had all honourably represented their schools and countries.
Director Kong Chi Meng, Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, said in his speech that with the support from the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) and the co-ordination by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, the DSEDJ was able to join forces with other MSAR government departments and local universities to bring this championship to a glorious conclusion. This championship had enabled student athletes from all over the world to display their superb basketball skills and indomitable spirit on the court, and had also attracted widespread public attention. All matches were livestreamed whilst some of the matches being broadcast live by local television broadcaster and the opening and final matches being televised by China Central Television. Director Kong also expressed his gratitude to ISF, all collaborative units, over 600 coaches and athletes, more than 200 referees and staff members, over 400 volunteers, friends from the media who had been helping to promote the event over the past few days, and spectators who had supported the championship. He believed that all athletes had gained unforgettable cultural experiences and had cultivated deep friendships during the championship. They had also experienced from different perspectives the charm of Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure and as a city with rich Chinese historical and cultural elements.
With the purposes of facilitating cultural exchange among young people from all over the globe and improving their athletic performance and competitive ability, the ISF World School Basketball Championship has become a major sporting event for secondary school students in the world. This year’s event was co-hosted by the University of Macau and the Macau-China Basketball Association and sponsored by Melco Resorts & Entertainment, with the Sports Bureau providing venue support, Li Ning (China) Sports Goods Co. Ltd sponsoring athletic apparel and footwear, and China Telecom (Macau) Company Ltd and Nam Yue Luen Fung Trading Company Ltd providing service support.
