The Vietnam Association in Kitakyushu city, Fukuoka prefecture of Japan, holds a sports festival, the second of its kind, at Onga Sports Centre in Kitakyushu on July 9. (Photo: danviet.vn) Tokyo (VNA) – The Vietnam Association in Kitakyushu city, Fukuoka prefecture of Japan, held a sports festival, the second of its kind, at Onga Sports Centre in Kitakyushu on July 9.
The festival attracted about 1,000 athletes and spectators from Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, Indonesiaand China. The contestants competed in six sports, namely men's football, table tennis, tennis, badminton, 1,000m relay race and tug of war.
The event is one of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam andJapan. It also provided an opportunity for sport fans to exercise and exchange, thus consolidating the Vietnamese community in Japan in general and in Kyushu inparticular.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Consul Vu Van Truongof the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka said the festival is a chance topopularise the image of Vietnam and the solidarity, peace and sport loving spiritof Vietnamese people to Japanese and international friends.
Along with sport competitions, art performances were also held and stalls set up to introduce Vietnamese food. A programme selling eco-friendly bags was organised on the occasion to raise funds for impoverished Vietnamese children.
In the coming time, the associationwill organise more community-oriented activities for the Vietnamese community such as the VAK-2023 StudyPromotion Fund for Vietnamese students and the Mid-Autumn Festival for children in Kyushu region./.