Kuala lumpur: Malaysia has been chosen as the final destination for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Fun Run, which is set to officially kick off at Sunway Lagoon tomorrow. Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali announced that the event, scheduled to begin at 7 am, is a collaborative effort coordinated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC), and the OCM, with support from the Sunway Group of Companies.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the OCM expects a turnout of at least 1,000 participants for tomorrow's run. The event will see participation not only from local runners but also from delegates from across Southeast Asia, who are currently in the capital attending the two-day Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) meeting. Mohd Nasir expressed the special significance of the promotional tour, recalling his attendance at the very first leg of the run in Thimphu, Bhutan, on April 2, 2025. The tour has successfully covered more than 25 countries before concluding in Kuala Lumpur.
During the press conference, Mohd Nasir noted that the initial run in Bhutan presented a challenging hilly route, unlike tomorrow's relatively easy course around Sunway Lagoon Theme Park. He emphasized the honor of being chosen as the final host and welcomed the public to participate in the open run and enjoy the theme park's atmosphere.
The event was also attended by several key figures, including the Olympic Council Of Asia's Media And Broadcast director, Jeans Zhao, AINAGOC Public Relations Department representative Manami Okumura, Sunway Hospitality Group CEO Alex Castaldi, and Sunway Lagoon Theme Park CEO Calvin Ho. Ho highlighted Malaysia's selection for the final leg, attributing it to OCM's excellent partnership with the OCA and Kuala Lumpur's success in hosting previous promotional events.
After a two-year journey across 23 countries and regions covering all five zones of the Asian continent, the promotion concludes in Kuala Lumpur. Tomorrow's program is anticipated to be the largest Asian Games Fun Run, with OCA presenting over 1,000 medals to participants. Ho remarked that the Asian Games aim to promote peace, a healthy lifestyle, and cultural exchange, and encouraged locals to support Malaysian athletes competing in Japan this September.
Alex Castaldi underscored the strategic partnership with OCM, aligning with Sunway City's vision of becoming a top event and first-class hospitality destination in the region. The final leg of the continent-wide tour is expected to gather over 1,000 participants, marking it as the largest run in the promotional series for the prestigious multi-sports Games so far.