Sands China, Macau Special Olympics host community basketball carnival

Macau casino concessionaire Sands China Ltd and Macau Special Olympics (MSO) have co-organised what was described as an “inclusive” community basketball carnival, attracting more than 250 participants. The initiative aimed at promoting social inclusion through sport, according to a recent press release. The 2026 MSO Sands China Cup – Inclusive Community Basketball Carnival was held at the University of Saint Joseph, which also supported the event. Participants included MSO athletes, students from special education schools, community care home representatives, secondary school basketball players, Sands Cares Ambassadors, and members of the Sands China basketball team. The programme spanned basketball competitions, skills challenges, interactive pursuits, and a training camp. Sands China staff also played alongside MSO athletes preparing to compete at the Special Olympics Summer World Championships, to be held in Chile in 2027. Hetzer Siu, executive director of MSO, said the carnival provided an opportunity for “people with and without disabilities to enjoy basketball together and make friends through the sport”. He said the event also offered MSO athletes “valuable practical experience” ahead of next year’s championships. Sands China stated it had supported MSO’s Healthy Athletes Programme for 13 consecutive years, providing free health screenings to more than 7,650 people since 2014. The company also has a dedicated fund that has helped more than 930 people with intellectual disabilities receive follow-up medical services and care services. The casino firm said it had donated MOP592,900 (US$73,398) this year to support the MSO health services and sports programmes, including the basketball carnival and a badminton invitational tournament. Wilfred Wong Ying Wai, executive vice chairman of Sands China, said the company would continue to support community inclusion and the development of sports in Macau as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts. “We are using basketball as a bridge to connect different groups in the community, allowing more citizens to get involved in the passion of basketball and experience the positive energy and spirit of inclusion that sports bring,” he stated. Mr Wong said Sands China would continue “working with all sectors of society to promote the popularisation of sports and community inclusion, and contributing to building a more harmonious, caring, and vibrant community”.