TAGAYTAY City hosted the kickoff fun run and art competition for this year’s 19th Asian Games. Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino led the opening with the country’s Olympic and other sports medalists.

Tolentino said this project of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Olympic Committee (Hagoc) is for the public awareness of the forthcoming Asian Games set on September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China, with 40 sports consisting of 61 disciplines that will be contested.

Tolentino, who is also the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president, said the country is planning to send 426 athletes to the 19th Asian Games.

“We are proud that the POC, Tagaytay City, and the country have become part of this symbolic fun run that not only helps promote the Asian Games but also reiterates the Philippines’ very important and historic role in why these very games were organized more than a century ago,” he said.

The Philippines is acknowledged as the birthplace of the Asian Games when the first Far

Eastern Olympic Games were staged in January and February 1913 in the same Malate area where the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex stands.

“Everything’s perfect, Tagaytay City is perfect for this fun run,” Tolentino said moments before he was joined by Hagoc HR Director Chen Qiufang flagged off the runners in waves for the 6K, 3K and 1K categories.

Coupled with the fun run was Tagaytay City’s hosting of the Hangzhou Asian Games Children’s Art Competition where select masterpieces depicting the games were picked by the POC, Hagoc and OCA officials from dozens of entries sent by Tagaytay City school children.

OCA Projects and Operations Manager Wissam Trkmani of Lebanon and Media and Broadcast Director Jeans Jhou Jiann of China also graced the ceremony, along with Philippine-based Chinese representing the Hagoc.

POC deputy secretary generals Bones Floro and Karen TanchancoCaballero,

who is also deputy chef de mission to Hangzhou, also participated in the event.

Olympian boxer Eumir Marcial Notable athletes, wushu artist Agatha Wong, swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi, Jason Balabal of wrestling, Precious Cabuya and Mark Julius Rodelas of obstacle course race, taekwondo jin Sam Morrison, and Athletes Commission representatives Nikko Huelgas and Cheska Altamonte also participated in the program on Sunday.