Photo: Lu Wenao/GT

As the National Games continue across South China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area - the first time the event has been jointly hosted by multiple regions - many Hong Kong athletes say the competition has offered them a renewed sense of connection with the Chinese mainland sports community.

"Here people all speak Putonghua [Standard Chinese], which gives us a new sense of belonging," swimmer Gilaine Ma of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region told the Global Times in a post-race interview after finishing the women's 4x100 meters freestyle relay final.

The Hong Kong team finished sixth place in the relay, an achievement that even Ma and her fellow teammates found surprising. 

She noted that this was her first time taking part in the National Games. "The atmosphere in the venue was also very good," Ma said. 

Although she competes mainly in middle- to long-distance events, Ma said she draws inspiration from both Hong Kong's Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey and mainland distance star Li Bingjie, a multiple-time medalist at the World Championship. 

"What I admire her most is the way she values and takes the sport so seriously," Ma said. 

She also noted that during her training stints in Hong Kong, there were occasions when swimming teams visited the pool and both sides would interact with each other, though "usually we don't disturb each other's preparations." 

With Hong Kong being one of the host regions of the National Games, there are many promotional activities in the city, leading Ma to remark, "You can feel the National Games atmosphere everywhere."

Beyond the swimming pool, athletes from other sports are sharing similar experiences of integration and encouragement.

Koon Kin-ho, the head coach of Hong Kong's women's basketball team at the National Games, also expressed similar sentiment.

The Hong Kong team was playing their matches in Foshan, a city neighboring Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

Despite having only one player competing in the mainland's top-tier league Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA), Koon said her team felt privileged to take part in the Games.

"After coming here we found that fans in Guangdong are also very passionate. They don't look down on us even if we're not playing that well," Koon told reporters. "Seeing so many local fans come to watch our games makes us really happy."

That same sense of belonging was also echoed by Hong Kong cyclist Lee Sze-wing, who claimed the gold medal during the women's road race at the National Games. 

"The National Games, held every four years, represent the highest level of competition in China. This edition being jointly hosted across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao means a lot to our team," Lee told reporters. 

"Although the road race didn't pass through Hong Kong, some sections of the race course pointed toward the city, and my family and friends came to cheer for me. It really felt like racing at home, and that made me so happy."

The Hong Kong region will host several competitions including fencing, 7-a-side rugby as well as golf.