On November 21st, as the main torch flame was slowly extinguished, the 15th National Games, jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, concluded successfully. These three closely-linked regions, where modern sports once took root and sprouted, have now embraced a new collaborative approach to hosting the Games, ushering in a new era for sports in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Guangdng, Hong Kong, and Macao, geographically adjacent and culturally connected, served as the cradle for many modern sports in China, including swimming, football, volleyball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, water polo, and diving. In 1873, China's first modern football pitch was built in Wuhua, Meizhou, marking the beginning of modern football in the Chinese mainland. Wing Chun Kung Fu, which originated in Foshan and gained fame in Hong Kong, was famously brought to global attention by martial arts superstar Bruce Lee. Using sports as a bridge, the three regions have written a unique chapter in modern Chinese history.

On the shared stage of the 15th National Games, Hong Kong and Macao athletes achieved historic breakthroughs competing on home turf: Hong Kong's "flying fish" Siobhan Haughey clinched gold in the women's 200m freestyle, securing Hong Kong's first-ever swimming gold at the National Games. Macao's sprinter Loi Im-lan blazed down the 100-meter track, becoming the first sprinter from Macao to qualify for the women's 100m in National Games history. It is worth noting that Loi's breakthrough is a fruit of the joint training model between the mainland and Macao, which involves studying at Jinan University and training at the Su Bingtian Center for Speed Research and Training. Her development path itself is a vivid illustration of talent mobility within the GBA.

From regular talent exchanges, such as the establishment of the GBA's first China Hong Kong Modern Pentathlon Association Guangdong Training Base in Guangzhou, and the Macao tennis team training in Hengqin, to the successful co-hosting of national-level events, sports integration in the GBA is rapidly accelerating. Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, shared an exciting moment: International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary Life President Thomas Bach, after watching the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games, expressed his belief that the GBA has the conditions and capability to bid for the Olympic Games. This is not only high recognition from an international sports authority but also an invitation for the future.

粤港澳凝心聚力，大湾区共写新篇

11月21日，当主火炬缓缓熄灭，粤港澳三地联合承办的第十五届全运会圆满落幕。血脉相连的粤港澳三地，曾经让现代体育从这里生根发芽；如今又以联合承办的全新姿态，开启了大湾区体育的新时代。

粤港澳地理相邻、人文相通，是中国近代游泳、足球、排球、网球、羽毛球、乒乓球、水球、跳水等运动项目的重要发祥地。1873年，中国内地第一块现代足球场在梅州五华诞生，标志着中国内地现代足球的开端；形成于佛山，扬名于香港的咏春拳，走出了功夫巨星李小龙……三地以体育为媒，在近代中国的风云变幻中书写了独特的篇章。

在十五运会这片共同的主场上，港澳运动员在家门口实现了历史性突破：香港“飞鱼”何诗蓓在女子200米自由泳中强势夺金，赢得香港在全运会游泳项目的首枚金牌；澳门选手吕艳兰如风般掠过百米赛道，成功闯入决赛，成为全运会史上首位达成此成就的澳门运动员。值得一提的是，吕艳兰的突破正是内地与澳门联合培养模式的成果缩影——在暨南大学求学，在苏炳添速度研究与训练中心受训，这条成长路径本身，就是大湾区人才流动的生动注脚。

从常态化的人才交流——如大湾区首个港籍现代五项训练基地落户广州，澳门网球队到横琴训练，到国家级赛事的成功联办，粤港澳大湾区的体育融合已步入快车道。中国香港体育协会暨奥林匹克委员会会长霍震霆分享了一个激动人心的时刻：国际奥委会终身名誉主席巴赫在观看十五运会开幕式后认为，粤港澳大湾区“有条件、有能力申办奥运”。这不仅是来自国际体育权威的高度认可，更是一封面向未来的邀请函。

文 | 记者 苏荇
译丨黄宇洁
英文审校丨林佳岱