RIYADH: The opening ceremony of the first edition of the Saudi Games, the largest national sports event of its kind, took place on Friday at King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh with the attendance and participation of more than 6000 athletes.
The event welcomed esteemed guests, including HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Riyadh region, as well as the Saudi public. It honored the athletes of the past, present, and future in a grand ceremony filled with lights, fire, and music.
#بيننا_أبطال يشاركون في رفع علم #دورة_الألعاب_السعودية عاليًا pic.twitter.com/byksGzkSjl
— دورة الألعاب السعودية (@SaudiGames2022) October 28, 2022
The night kicked off with the raising of the Saudi flag and the national anthem, followed by the march of the participating athletes from various sports clubs all over the country.
A special segment of the night’s festivities was dedicated to raising the Saudi Games flag alongside the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic committee flag. The flags were carried by prominent Saudi athletes, including Dounia Aboutaleb, the first female Saudi player to achieve a medal in the Asian Taekwondo championship in 2022, and Ahmed Sharbatly, a Saudi Paralympic rider who competed in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
They then welcomed all the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic athletes who represented the Kingdom throughout history as they took rounds across the stadium, followed by an immersive performance display of the various sports categories.
#بيننا_أبطال يشاركون في رفع علم #دورة_الألعاب_السعودية عاليًا pic.twitter.com/byksGzkSjl
— دورة الألعاب السعودية (@SaudiGames2022) October 28, 2022
The Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, took the stage to deliver a speech, thanking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his generous sponsorship of the event and endless support for the sector on behalf of all Saudi athletes. The Prince is also the Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Saudi Games.
“Today, with national cadres, we are embracing success and beginning a new stage of creating champions to live through this significant event: the first Saudi Games, an idea that was planned by HRH Crown Prince, to allow more than 6000 male and female athletes the chance to compete and showcase their talents,” Prince Abdulaziz said.
Saudi athletes and champions have represented more than 200 Saudi clubs in the search for passion and gold medals and have received the title in 45 sports, five of them being dedicated to the Paralympic champions, he said.
“We wish all the best to our Saudi heroes in this historic session, and I hope that this will be a nucleus and a key to presenting distinguished and creative champions able to develop themselves and elevate the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the future in continental, regional and international forums,” he added.
#بيننا_أبطال من جميع مناطق المملكة تجمعهم مسيرة أكبر حدث رياضي وطني #دورة_الألعاب_السعوديةpic.twitter.com/LpfmtyoTwO
— دورة الألعاب السعودية (@SaudiGames2022) October 28, 2022
At the ceremony, four athletes took center stage to take the Saudi Games oath on behalf of all athletes: Ibrahim Almoaiqel, Sarah Aljumaah, Yasmeen Al-Dabbagh, and Ahmed Sharbatly. They pledged to take part in the Saudi Games with respect to the governing rules and committed themselves to compete without drug use in the true spirit of sportsmanship.
A Saudi Games oath on behalf of all judges, officials, and coaches was also taken by representatives.
Riyadh’s Governor Prince Faisal then officially announced the opening of the first Saudi Games in Riyadh for the year 2022.
Finally, a ceremony in which the Saudi Saudi Games torch was passed down to various athletes having traveled across the Kingdom, taking its place now at the King Fahd Stadium. The segment featured participation by the likes of Sydney ‘00 Olympic Games Silver medalist Hadi Soua’an and Tokyo ‘20 Olympic Games Silver medalist Tarek Hamdi.
The night concluded with renowned French DJ and music producer David Guetta performing a live set for the stadium’s guests, featuring beloved anthems such as “Love Tonight” and “Titanium.”
The Saudi Games aims to harness the love for sports regionally, increase general participation in sports, and create a good competitive environment for athletes. It also aims to become a platform for discovering new and undernourished talents.
The Games have already kicked off with a women’s weightlifting event on Thursday and is set to continue with various competitions across the city for a two-week period. The Games will conclude on November 7.
Participants will compete for a grand total of more than SR200 million: Gold-medal winners to receive SR1 million, and silver-medal winners awarded SR300,000 and SR100,000 respectively. This is the highest prize money dedicated to the sports sector in the history of the region.
The ceremony ended with a music concert by international DJ David Guetta.
