The first International Exhibition of Sports Humor Paintings kicked off in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province to raise public enthusiasm for sports as they welcome the upcoming 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, slated for Sept 10 to 25. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The first International Exhibition of Sports Humor Paintings kicked off in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday. Organizers aim to raise public enthusiasm for sports as they welcome the upcoming 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, slated for Sept 10 to 25.

More than 3,000 paintings from 48 countries and regions — one-third from foreign countries, including the United States, France, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Montenegro and Serbia — were received in the last quarter of 2021.

A total of 300 works were selected, of which 30 were judged excellent by experts from the Zhejiang Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, China Academy of Art and others.

"Each judge looked through all the works, with 300 of them finally chosen," said Tao Xiaoming, chairman of the Zhejiang Cartoonists Association.

The painters and cartoonists created a large number of humorous comics with sports themes, presenting concepts of physical fitness and sporting spirit.

Sports humor is a form of artistic expression that uses humor to interpret the skills and spirit of athletes with wisdom and happiness.

The exhibition will run until March 31 at the Hangzhou Powerlong Art Center.

Fang Xiaoying in Hangzhou contributed to this story.