Nepal, China hold 'Friendship Run'

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday flagged off a 'Friendship Run' between Nepali and Chinese students.

The event, held at Beijing Sports University, was organised to display the cooperation between the people of the two countries, reported Kathmandu Post.

Beijing-based Nepali embassy and China's General Administration of Sports jointly organised the event, where 100 participants from each side took part.

Chinese runners bagged the first, second and third prize in the three-kilometre race, and were felicitated with cups, cash prizes and certificates.

It is learnt that Nepali Ambassador to China, Leela Mani Paudyal, had been pitching for organising such an event to encourage the people-to-people connection since his beginning days at the office.

The Nepali community living in Beijing said that the friendship race was the first of its kind to be held in China, and added that such activities would deepen Nepal-China friendship at the people-to-people level.

"The Nepal-China friendship run is held for the first time in China. This is a momentous time for Nepal and China. It brings Nepali expats and Chinese together," said Asmod Karki, a Yenching scholar at Peking University.

Also present on the occasion were China's Vice Minister of the State General Administration of Sports, Gao Zhidan, China's Ambassador to Nepal, Yu Hong, Chinese officials and Prime Minister Oli's delegation.

On a related note, Prime Minister Oli is on a six-day state visit to China.