The 68th Gyeonggi-do Sports Festival Opens on the 25th in Yongin

[Asia Economy (Yongin) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The 68th Gyeonggi-do Sports Festival opened on the 25th in Yongin.

Under the slogan "The Roar of Gyeonggi-do, United in Yongin," this event, held for three days from the 25th to the 27th at Yongin Mir Stadium, features about 10,000 athletes from 31 cities and counties across the province competing fiercely in 25 sports including soccer and swimming.

At the opening ceremony, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Gyeonggi Provincial Council Chairman Yeom Jong-hyun, Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il, and Yongin City Council Chairman Yoon Won-gyun attended, adding prestige to the event.

The athletes from the 31 cities and counties entered in order, led by the delegation from Seongnam City, the next host city, and Cho Hyo-sang, chairman of the Yongin Sports Council, declared the opening.

With the powerful "Song of Victory" sung by the combined choir of the Yongin City Choir and Yongin Boys and Girls Choir, the tournament flag was raised, and soprano Park Ji-hyun performed "Nella Fantasia," a song beloved worldwide.

The torch, which toured 38 towns and townships of Yongin City over two days starting the previous day, arrived at the opening ceremony venue with four runners. Former national gymnastics representative and Kyung Hee University professor Yeo Hong-cheol, the final torchbearer, energized the atmosphere.

The torch will burn at the Mir Stadium cauldron until the 27th, illuminating the festival of unity for 13.9 million Gyeonggi residents.

In his welcoming speech, Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "The Gyeonggi-do Sports Festival is a salute of unity toward an 'Amazing Future' (the theme of the opening ceremony). I thank the sports officials of the cities and counties and the citizens for their great support for the successful hosting of the event. I hope all participating athletes will fully demonstrate their honed skills and achieve excellent results." He promised, "Yongin Special City will do its best until the closing day to ensure the best competition."

Following the opening ceremony, congratulatory performances featured singers Ailee, Lee Chan-won, Jung Dong-won, B.O, and Han Dam-hee, delivering splendid stages that received great applause.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony and congratulatory performances were broadcast live on TV (KBS N) for the first time in the history of the Gyeonggi-do Sports Festival.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.