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Counselor Ni Ying Attended the Opening Ceremony of the 33rd Athens Authentic Marathon
2015-11-08 18:09
 

On the evening of November 7, 2015, the Opening Ceremony for the 33rd Athens Authentic Marathon was held in the cemetery for the 192 warriors in the city of Marathon, the origin of Marathon long-distance running. Counselor Ni Ying, wife of the Chinese Ambassador, together with 300 participants from the Greek government, the diplomatic corps, and marathon enthusiasts worldwide, witnessed the exciting event.

Mr. Kontonis, Deputy Minister for Sports and Mr. Psinakis, Mayor of the city of Marathon, addressed the ceremony. They remembered the warriors who lost their lives in the Battle of Marathon and stressed the need to treasure today’s peace. They called on people to carry forward the Marathon spirit of perseverance and selfless sacrifice and to pursue democracy, freedom, and solidarity. UN representative in Greece read out the congratulatory message by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in which he wished the participants good results.

At the Opening Ceremony, Greek artists reproduced the Battle of Marathon and the story about how Marathon started using various means including saga, singing and dancing, and projectors. The torch of the Athens Authentic Marathon was lit in a solemn atmosphere.

On November 8, over 43000 long-distance runners including over 500 from China will attend the 33rd Athens Authentic Marathon race, which includes races of 42 km, 10 km, and 5 km respectively.

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