The 100th National Sports Festival kicks off on Friday with an opening ceremony at the Jamsil Stadium in Seoul’s Songpa District. 
 
The country’s largest annual comprehensive sports competition will be held through next Thursday in 72 stadiums in the capital and surrounding cities.
  
Some 19-thousand athletes representing 17 provinces and major cities in the country as well as members from 18 overseas Korean teams will compete across 47 events.  

With less than a year to go until the Tokyo Summer Olympics, top athletes from national teams will also take part in the festival, including swimmer Park Tae-hwan and Olympic shooting gold medalist Jin Jong-oh.

Following the National Sports Festival, the 39th National Para Games will be held in Seoul from October 15 to 19.