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Jerusalem will host Children’s Olympics in 2018

Israel’s capital has been selected to host the International Children’s Games in 2018.

Jerusalem has been chosen to host next year’s International Children’s Games (ICG). The event is supported by the International Olympic Committee and is organized each year for children aged 12 to 15 from cities worldwide. The event includes numerous sports and cultural activities for participants and family members from across the globe.

The Israeli representatives from Jerusalem received the Games’ symbolic torch at the concluding ceremony of this year’s event, which took place in the Lithuanian capital Kaunas.

On Wednesday, Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat and the president of the ICG Torsten Rasch, signed the official host city agreement in the Israeli capital.

“We are very happy that Jerusalem will host the ICG in 2018. It is an honor for us to sign this agreement,” said Rasch.

Rasch stressed the larger significance of the games, noting, “Beyond the sporting competitions, it is important that the host city will embrace the children and promote fair play, tolerance and values between children from around the world.”

The International Children’s Games were established in 1968 by the Slovenian sports instructor Metod Klemenc. It started initially as a cultural festival with teams from nine European cities but has grown considerably since then.

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Since its inception, 37,000 children aged 12 to 15 have participated at 47 Summer Games and six Winter Games. Participants have hailed from 411 cities in 86 countries on five continents.

“We are excited Jerusalem has been chosen as the host city,” said Mayor Barkat.

“This is a great opportunity to present Jerusalem and Israel in a positive context through sports,” he added.

The International Children’s Games in 2018 will be held in Jerusalem between July 29 and August 3.

 By: Daniel Krygier, World Israel News