Attending the ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha; Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, Head of the Steering Committee of the 13th ASEAN Schools Games; Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang; Bayu Rahadian, Sp.Kj, Secretary-General of the Indonesian School Sports Council who holds President of the Southeast Asian School Sports Council; representatives of the sports delegations from the countries participating in the event.
Lasting over 90 minutes, the opening ceremony brought sports fans and athletes into the bustling vibrant atmosphere of the ASEAN School Sports Festival through a flag procession, flag-raising ceremony, an artistic program, the parade of delegates from countries participating in this event and the flame-lighting ceremony of the 13th ASEAN Schools Games.
At the opening ceremony, representatives of the referee board and the athletes took an Oanh to ensure that the 13th ASEAN Schools Games would uphold the spirit of fair play and good sportsmanship.
Mr. Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training and Head of the Steering Committee of the 13th ASEAN Schools Games stated that the Southeast Asian School Sports Festival is the largest sports event for high school students under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, aiming to promote solidarity, international friendship, respect and mutual understanding among the countries.
The event takes place in Da Nang City from May 31 to June 9, with the participation of 1,300 student-athletes and coaches from ten countries in the region.
The athletes will compete in six sports including track and field, vovinam, pencak silat, badminton, swimming and basketball.
Vietnamese delegation has 189 members participating in all six sports, including 137 athletes who are outstanding student-athletes from various provinces and cities nationwide.
The mascot of the 13th ASEAN School Games is the red-shanked douc langur, a rare and endangered animal living on the Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang City listed in Vietnam's Red Book.
Some photos captured at the opening ceremony of the 13th ASEAN Schools Games last night:
