December 1, 2019: The 13th edition of South Asian Games kicked off in the capital today. President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the mega event amid a glittering opening ceremony at the Dasharath Stadium.
Athletes of the seven South Asian nations performed march pass during the opening ceremony.
Nepal’s flag bearer Kamal Bahadur Adhikari led the home team during the march pass. More than 15,000 artists performed cultural show in front of 5000 visitors. The glittering opening ceremony concluded with fireworks.
Altogether 2712 athletes, including 596 from Nepal, will be competing in the ten-day event from December 1 to 10. The Sri Lankan team has 564 players followed by India (487), Bangladesh (470), Pakistan (263), the Maldives (216) and Bhutan (116).
There are altogether 28 games in the current edition of SAG. Among them, 19 games will be held in Kathmandu, eight in Pokhara and one in Janakpur.
The South Asian Games (SAF Games, SAG, or SA games, and formerly known as South Asian Federation Games) is a biennial multi-sport event held among the athletes from South Asia. The governing body of these games is South Asia Olympic Council (SAOC), formed in 1983.
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