The 91st National Sports Festival opened in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday for a seven-day run.

Some 23-thousand athletes from 16 cities will compete in 44 events, including three demonstration sports such as billiards and dancesport.

The opening ceremony for the event was held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The event’s last torch bearers were Olympic judo gold medalist Ha Hyung-joo and striker Yeo Min-ji, who won top awards at the FIFA under-17 Women’s World Cup.