NAIROBI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural China-Kenya Friendship Games took place on Thursday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
The day-long competition saw over 700 Chinese and Kenyan attendants from 19 Chinese companies who are members of the Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA), featuring track and field events, as well as fun games.
Elijah Mwangi, principal secretary for the State Department of Sports under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Creative Economy and Sports, said that the games are more than a sporting competition because they are a celebration of people-to-people diplomacy.
"They remind us that the strength of any bilateral relationship lies in the everyday interactions between colleagues, friends, and communities," Mwangi added.
He noted that as Kenyans and Chinese gather on the field of play, there is a human connection that anchors and enriches wider cooperation in trade, technology, manufacturing, and national development.
Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said that sports are a bridge transcending languages and borders as well as a bond of friendship, while sports games have winners and losers, but friendship stops at no boundaries.
According to Guo, the China-Kenya Friendship Games is not only an important event of the 2025 China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season but also a clear example of active cultural exchanges between the two countries.
