Tickets for 15th National Games Events Go On Sale Tomorrow at 10 AM

Tickets for third batch of 15th NG events for sale tomorrow

​Tickets for the third batch of events of the 15th National Games (NG) will be available for sale at 10am tomorrow (October 16).

The third batch of tickets covers 13 competition events of the Guangdong competition region of the 15th NG, namely badminton, basketball (men's adult, women's adult, women's U22, women's U18), wushu (taolu), swimming, weightlifting, cycling BMX, canoeing (sprint and kayak slalom), sport climbing and shooting (skeet). Among them, badminton, basketball (men's adult and women's adult), and swimming are popular events. Members of the public can purchase e-tickets through official online ticketing platforms, including the 15th NG official ticketing website (ticket.baygames.cn) or by the "15th NG official ticketing" mini programme on WeChat. Registered users can log in to the official online ticketing platform, select "Ticket Purchase", and choose the competition venue(s), competition event(s), time, and session(s) to purchase tickets for events in different competition regions. Hong Kong residents must use theirMainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents to purchase tickets for events in Guangdong. Each order is limited to six tickets for the same event session, except for popular events, where each order is limited to three tickets for the same event session.

As for the eight competition events for the 15th NG in Hong Kong competition region, namely beach volleyball, handball (men), basketball (men's U22), rugby sevens, golf, track cycling, triathlon and fencing, tickets have been available for sale since late August and late September. Members of the public can purchase e-tickets through official online ticketing platforms, or they can visit 11 designated sales outlets of the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited to buy paper tickets for events in the Hong Kong competition region. Real-name authentication will be adopted for ticket purchases online and offline. When purchasing tickets at the designated sales outlets, ticket buyers must provide their name and identification document number, as well as those of all spectators, for verification. Ticket buyers are also required to produce copies of the relevant identity documents for verification.Hong Kong residents must use their Hong Kong identity card to purchase tickets, while Mainland and Macao residents must use their Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, and their Macao identity card respectively. The paper tickets sold offline in Hong Kong will be converted from Renminbi to Hong Kong dollars at a fixed exchange rate.For details of the sales outlets and other related information, please visit the website of China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited (ww2.ctshk.com/articleDetail?id=4&channelId=-1) or the thematic website of the 15th NG Hong Kong competition region (www.2025nationalgames.gov.hk/en/ng.html).

Among the eight competition events in Hong Kong, enthusiastic responses in online sales of weekend matches of the fencing event have been noted since the commencement of ticket sales on September 20. Hence, the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) will adjust the ratio of online and offline tickets for the fencing event, and has also reallocated some originally planned offline tickets to online sales for the beach volleyball and basketball (men’s U22) events to facilitate members of the public in purchasing tickets of the two events through online ticketing platforms. The NGCO will adjust the allocation of online and offline tickets for each event based on sales conditions in a timely manner.

Tickets for the three competition events of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), namely boccia, wheelchair fencing and para table tennis (TT11), are planned for release later this month. Tickets for the 9thNSOG table tennis will be distributedto the public for free, with specificarrangementsto be announced later.

For enquiries about online ticketing, please call the official ticketing hotline (+86 4001-125305) or email the officialticketing enquiry mailbox(services@quanyun2025.com). Both the official ticketing hotline and enquiry mailbox support English enquiries.

For enquiries about offline ticketing in the Hong Kong competition region, please call China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited's NG hotline (+852 3859 4811) or email tong2025cs@ctg.cn. English services are also available for ticket purchases and enquiries at the 11 designated sales outlets of the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited.

For more information about ticketing arrangements for the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG, please visit the thematic website (www.2025nationalgames.gov.hk/en/ng.html), as well as the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/2025nationalgames.hk) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/2025nationalgames.hk).

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases