Beijing, June 21 (IANS) Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli inaugurated a Nepal-China "friendship run" here on Thursday to showcase the warm ties between the two countries.
The Nepal Embassy and China's General Administration of Sports jointly organised the event at Beijing Sports University where 100 participants from each side took part.
Chinese runners bagged the first, second and third prize in the three-kilometer race. They were felicitated with a cup, cash prize and certificates.
China's Vice Minister of the State General Administration of Sports Gao Zhidan, China's Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong, Nepali Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal and other officials from both sides were present on the occasion.
Nepali community living in Beijing said the "friendship run" was first of its kind to be held in China and such activities could help deepen Nepal-China friendship at people-to-people level, the Nepali media reported.
"The Nepal-China friendship run is held for the first time in China. This is a momentous time as it brings Nepali expats and Chinese together," said Asmod Karki, a Yenching scholar at Peking University.
Hailing the Nepali Embassy's effort in initiating such programme, Karki added that there had been very few initiatives to bring people from two sides together in China.
"It's a good start but the question is how to continue such activities in future," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Oli said that collaboration could be made between the two nations in different types of sports. Oli is in China on a six-day visit till June 24.
--IANS
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