The event, organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), was designed to promote the Hangzhou Asian Games, still branded with 2022 but postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions to this year, with the new dates being September 23 to October 8.

The OCA has been organising a series of fun runs in different Asian cities since 2004 to promote the Asian Games prior to the upcoming edition.

Besides Singapore, the Hangzhou Fun Run has also recently visited communities in Uzbekistan, Thailand, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and will continue to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Qatar.

Participants from the ActiveSG Academies, Team Nila and community walking groups joined Singapore athletes from 12 sports including archery, baseball/softball, sailing and contract bridge in a three kilometre run started by Tan Chuan-Jin, President of SNOC.

Ryan Lo, a Singapore sailor and Asian Games bronze medallist in 2010 and 2018, has his sights set on Hangzhou 2022 and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"My team-mates and I are looking forward to competing in Hangzhou," he said.

"The sailing conditions won’t be easy and the level of sailing will be very competitive.

"Nonetheless, we are all putting in our best efforts to prepare for a successful campaign and I am certain that Hangzhou will present an impressive edition of the Asian Games."

The crowd was also introduced to Singapore's newly-appointed Chefs de Mission.

Dr Koh Koon Teck will lead the contingent in Hangzhou and will be assisted by Olympians Tao Li and Koh Seng Leong.

Dr Koh is currently the President of the Basketball Association of Singapore and also serves as a member on the SNOC Executive Committee.

Double Olympians - swimmer Tao Li and sailor Koh Seng Leong - will serve as assistant Chefs de Mission to Dr Koh.

Li, 33, won the women's 50m butterfly event at the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games and remains the only Singaporean woman to make an Olympic swimming final, something she did at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

At the 2006 Asian Games, Seng Leong won silver in the Laser Radial Open event after returning to competitive sailing following a motorbike accident in 2005 which caused him to miss the year’s Southeast Asian Games.

After retiring from competitive sailing in 2010, the 39-year-old returned to sports in 2021 when he was elected as vice-president to Olympians Singapore, an association representing Olympians in Singapore.

"Since the COVID-19 pandemic, our athletes have been taking the challenges posed in good stride," said Koh.

"Even with postponements of competitions and major Games, they continue to train and keep themselves in good shape physically and mentally.

"I am heartened to see such resolve and enthusiasm by our athletes as they put their best foot forward to represent Singapore at the Asian Games.

"I am confident that with the support of Tao Li and Seng Leong - both who competed at the elite level as high performance athletes - that Team Singapore will have a fruitful outing in Hangzhou."

In 2018, Singapore's contingent of 264 athletes came home with four gold, four silver and 14 bronze medals.