The first Bandabi Sports Center, an athletic facility designed for people with disabilities, has opened in the city of Gwangju.

The opening ceremony took place on Thursday at the Gwangju National University of Education where the center is located, attended by some 200 guests including the city's mayor and the president of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons.

The Bandabi Sports Center, a policy initiative that derived from the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games and named after the event's mascot, is an integrated sports facility designed to accommodate athletes with disabilities, but can also be used by the able-bodied people.

As of last month, the decision was made to construct 77 such centers nationwide. The goal is to have 150 by the year 2027.

In an interview with local media, Parsons, who delivered congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony, praised the Bandabi center as the most successful case of a Paralympic legacy he has ever seen.