Sports

SL to host first-ever Chinese marathon come May

Sri Lanka will host the first-ever Chinese marathon this May, where over 2000-3000 Chinese athletes will arrive under the ‘Ni Hao Zhong Guo’ programme, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management Chairman Shirantha Peiris announced.Peiris recently visited the municipality of Chongqing in China to finalise an agreement under the Ni Hao Zhong Guo programme to bring in additional Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka over the next two-year period. Accordingly, it has been proposed to organise a marathon for the Chinese athletes from May 1 to 3, this year. This is to be followed by a seafood festival organised on the Unwatuna beach strip. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu revealed plans to make this an annual event.

According to the Ni Hao Zhong Guo programme, Sri Lanka is expected to lure one million tourists over the next two years. Sri Lanka is expected to generate a revenue of Rs.225 billion. However, Peiris noted that two years would be rather ambitious and instead, proposed a four-year period.

( Source : Daily Mirror)