The dome itself was built on reclaimed land in Cotai (in addition to hotels and casinos, this area will develop the Cotai International Sports Complex, also slated as host for the 2nd Asian Indoor Games in 2007). Inaugurated in July 2005, the dome is a three-story multi-purpose sport complex covering a total area of 139,960 square meters. The structure incorporates two separate functional indoor pavilions for different indoor sports and activities, as well as a hall that can accommodate up to 2,000 people. Other new facilities include the Macau International Shooting Range, the Tennis Academy & Bowling Centre, the latter boasting "24 lanes provision with approximately 300 temporary spectator seats," according to the Macau 4th East Asian Games website.

New infrastructure, new uses

One of the events in the East Asian Games--ten-pin bowling--is more often associated with recreation than gold-medal competition. Yet the infrastructure created for this year's event in Macau will not only have spin-offs within the IT sphere, but for Macau's general population as well. "I love to bowl," mused Mok, "but there hasn't been a bowling alley in Macau since the one in the Hotel Lisboa closed. And that was a long, long time ago."

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Macau's "Olympics"