Nearly 700 staff from the Geneva-based diplomatic missions of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s member countries took part in the ASEAN Family Sports Festival 2011 held in Geneva , on July 9.

During the event, the diplomats and their families competed in nearly 20 competitive events including chess, football, tennis, badminton, volleyball, relay race, bowling, golf and tug-of-war.

Members of the Vietnamese missions to the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international bodies won gold medals in many events including the chess and the relay race.

Kwok Fook Seng, Head of the Singaporean Mission in Geneva said that the event gave diplomats and their families an opportunity to strengthen friendship and solidarity as well as promote the fine traditions of ASEAN.

The annual festival has also encouraged families from ASEAN member countries’ diplomatic missions to share common activities to promote ASEAN’s basic goals of stability, peace, cooperation, friendship and prosperity./.