The Egyptian football team was defeated by its French counterpart during the semi-final at the onging Paris Olympic Games on Monday, dashing the hope of the football fans at home who were wishing for a historical breakthrough in the world's most popular sport.
African countries lost both men's football semi-finals. First, Morocco let a lead slip against Spain. Then, the host France took out Egypt in extra time. It was heartache for football fans in Cairo. What appeared to be a strong Egyptian grip over the match collapsed just eight minutes before the main-time ended, when the Pharaohs lost their 1-0 lead. France scored an equalizer that pushed the game into extra time. Egyptian fans were devastated when the team's top defender Omar Fayed got a red card, just a few minutes into the first extra time. The North African team no longer posed any threat to the hosts. France easily took the lead and then sealed its victory with a third goal. "For a moment I hoped for the gold medal. I see the players playing well together. With every match they play they become stronger. They have a very good coach who won gold medal before. I think they can win bronze and make Egypt proud," said Mohamed Shedeed, an Egyptian football fan. "Watching the first and second matches, no one thought we would reach this far in the competition. I am very sad because we could have won this match against France after we scored. Our focus shifted to defense," said Hamada Seyam, an Egyptian football coach. Egypt will be playing against Morocco for third place on Thursday. So the bronze medal is definitely African. But Egypt and Morocco will also be clashing for the honor of being the first Arab team to win an Olympic medal in football.
Egyptian football fans disillusioned by Olympic football semi-final defeat
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
