World Youth Athletic Championship starts

The eighth World Youth Athletic Championship started here with the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, which is on course to become the biggest gathering of athletes in the history of independent Ukraine.

Around 1,700 competitors from 165 countries will participate in the biennial tournament, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The tournament, which started Wednesday, is open to track and field events for under-17 competitors.

Total of 148 medals will be awarded for 40 events scheduled for the five-day tournament.

The previous World Youth Athletic Championship was held in Lille, France, in 2011.