This article**: People's Daily Online.
People's Daily Online, Rome, February 21 (Reporter Xie Yahong) Athens News: On February 18, local time, the 2024 Greek Overseas Chinese New Year Games was successfully held at the Agianagiri Gymnasium in Athens. The event was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Greece and the Sino-Greek Times, and co-sponsored by the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Greece and various overseas Chinese groups and organizations in Greece. Nearly 1,000 people attended the event, including Chinese Ambassador to Greece Xiao Junzheng, Minister Counsellor Lai Bo, Military Attache Liu Wei, Counselor Li Ying, Director Xu Huimin, Director Guo Xiaoyu, Mayor of Agianagiri, Stavros Zilpas, Vice Mayor Pericles Papagiou, overseas Chinese and Chinese compatriots from all walks of life in Greece and Greek friends. 14 teams composed of Chinese compatriots in Greece and Greek friends participated in the Games, and nearly 300 team members were full of vigor and high morale. This is also the first Spring Festival Games in the history of the Greek diaspora.
Xiao Jun is sending sincere New Year greetings to all the participating players and the audience. He pointed out that the Greek Overseas Chinese New Year Games actively responded to the call of the national fitness movement, which not only strengthened the body, but also united the strength of overseas Chinese and united the hearts of the people.
Papagiou extended New Year's greetings to all the athletes and spectators, and said that in the future, he will continue to promote exchanges and friendship between the Greek and Chinese peoples.
With a whistle, the Spring Festival Games officially kicked off. Tug-of-war, use both hands and feet, chopsticks to hold the ball, and hold the ball to run ......The rich competition items were one after another, and the shouts and cheers of the whole audience overshadowed one after another, resounding throughout the stadium.
In addition to the tense and interesting competitions, dragon and lion dances, song skewers, cheerleading performances and other wonderful programs are full of surprises and dizzying, and the participating team members and the audience interact together, singing and dancing, and the joyful atmosphere runs throughout.
A Spring Festival temple fair was also set up at the site of the Games, where a variety of Chinese food, milk tea and traditional dim sum made the audience feast. As a representative traditional Chinese entertainment project, "Pitching Pot" attracted adults and children to participate in the battle, so that the participants could experience the traditional Chinese culture while winning prizes.
After several rounds of fierce competition, the team of the Chinese Embassy in Greece won the overall championship, the team of the Sino-Greek Chinese Theatre Alliance won the overall runner-up and the first place in the tug-of-war competition, and the team of the Sino-Greek Cultural and Art Exchange Association won the third place of the group.