Abstract: The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Sports Bay Area (the Sports Bay Area) initiative serves as a model and benchmark for building China into a sports powerhouse on the journey to modernization. This study elucidates the conceptual implications, socio-historical significance, and strategic objectives of the initiative, while systematically diagnosing implementation challenges. By positioning the 15th National Games as a transformative driver, the study proposes actionable strategies and delineates pathways for advancing the Sports Bay Area agenda. Findings reveal that the initiative contributes to regional collaborative governance framework, catalyzes synergistic industrial development, enhances cultural exchange, helps fulfill the pursuit of a better life for residents in the Bay Area, and builds a new model of ecological civilization. Key developmental targets include coordinated and efficient sports administration, open and interconnected sports industries, fusion of sports with diverse culture, interconnected and shared public sports services, and steady progress in sports-related ecological civilization. However, entrenched obstacles persist, including institutional barriers to cross-border coordination, fragmented sports markets, divergent regional cultural identities, sports resource allocation disparities, and insufficient ecological accountability. The 15th National Games emerges as a strategic turning point to overcome these constraints. Recommendations advocate for leveraging the Games to advance cross-border sports governance, strengthen regional sports industry collaboration, build a cultural community with a shared identity for the Sports Bay Area, promote equitable distribution of sports services, and establish demonstration zones of green sports standards. Practical pathways involve innovating collaborative governance mechanisms, deepening industrial integration, fostering cultural identity, enhancing public service equity, and implementing green and low-carbon practices.