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, Indonesia and 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 and Japan. It also provided an opportunity for sport fans to exercise and exchange, thus consolidating the Vietnamese community in Japan in general and in Kyushu in particular.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Consul Vu Van Truong of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka said the festival is a chance to popularise the image of Vietnam and the solidarity, peace and sport loving spirit of 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 association will organise more community-oriented activities for the Vietnamese community such as the VAK-2023 Study Promotion Fund for Vietnamese students and the Mid-Autumn Festival for children in Kyushu region.
