First Changchun Foreigners Sports Meet

The first Changchun Foreigners Sports Meet came to a successful close on June 3 after five days of fierce but friendly competition， in which participants showed that they attached great importance to participation and friendship.

A sports meeting held only for foreigners is rare in China. This one， staged by the Changchun Municipal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， attracted 316 participants from 66 countries—students， teachers， experts， engineers， senior managers， business executives and company staff and technicians from 27 universities and colleges， foreign-capital ventures， foreign governmental and non-governmental organizations in Changchun. The youngest was 17 and the oldest 63.

The five events of badminton， table tennis， tennis， football and basketball were chosen based on opinions expressed by foreigners living in the city. The participants were grouped according to age to compete in 22 items. There were eight football teams and over 90 people took part in the table tennis matches.

The participants regarded the sports meet as a grand gathering and a joyful festival. One said it gave an opportunity for people of different nationalities and different beliefs to get together to enjoy “sunshine” and “perspiration”. The sports meet reflected the theme “sports bring fitness and enjoyment” and the Olympic spirit of “faster， higher， and better”.