Qatar's Flag Hoisted in Incheon as Asian Games Kick Off Friday

Incheon, September 19 (QNA) - Qatar's flag hoisting ceremony was held Thursday at the delegations' residency of the 17th Asian Games in the South Korean city of Incheon. Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Secretary General and head of the Qatari delegation HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani attended the ceremony along with HE Qatar's Ambassador to Seoul Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Duhaimi, QOC sports affairs director and head of the mission's administrative delegation Kahlil Ibrahim Al Jaber and members of the Qatari delegation including officials, staff and athletes. After the flag was hoisted and the national anthem was played, Al Jaber exchanged trophies with the mayor of the Olympic city. At the end of the ceremony, the mayor took commemorative photos with the Qatari delegation and other participant delegations as the games kick off Friday and run until Oct. 4 amid participation of 45 Asian countries represented by around 13,000 athletes and officials, including 249 Qatari athletes. Thirty-six games are contested in the games, 28 of which are Olympic sports. (QNA)