The Permanent Missions of the Philippines to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the World Trade Organization participated in the Annual ASEAN Sports and Family Day on 21 June 2014 at the Versoix Sports Complex.

The ASEAN Sports and Family Day (ASFD 2014) is a special much-awaited day for all ASEAN Missions to the United Nations and the World Trade Organizations. 

The Day’s events included various games like the musical chairs and potato picking for kids, football, the Ambassador’s game, the Tug of War and the awarding of medals.

A month before the ASEAN Sports and Family Day, different ASEAN Missions organized various sporting contests which challenged mind and body with events such as Bowling, Chess, Pool, Scrabble, Football, Table Tennis and Badminton.  As reported earlier, the Philippine Mission to the UN organized the ASEAN Bowling Tournament on 31 May 2014.

The Philippine Women’s Tug of War Team successfully defended its crown and bagged its third consecutive gold medal in the Tug of War Contest.  Tug-of-War is a team contest where two a 5-person team pulls each other at the end of a strong rope until one of the teams drags the other to their side of the line. This has been the bastion sport of the Philippines for the past decade first in the Men’s team competition and now in the Women’s Team Competition.

Philippines’ other medals include a gold in the Scrabble Competition (Mr. Ryan Gener, Geneva WTO) and a Silver Medal in Women’s Bowling Team Category.

Special guests at the ASFD were the Permanent Representatives of Australia and New Zealand.

ASEAN cuisine was likewise showcased through the common food tent, where a variety of dishes and desserts of each ASEAN country were served.

The Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam coordinated this year’s ASFD. The Annual Event has been organized by ASEAN Missions in Geneva for more than two decades to promote greater camaraderie, closer relations and foster friendship among ASEAN diplomats and their families and friends.  The Permanent Mission of Cambodia will coordinate the 2015 ASFD.