Pan Am Games opens in Toronto as largest ever sport event in Canada

The XVII Pan American Games, commonly known as the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, opened here Friday evening, welcoming over 6,000 athletes from 41 countries and regions in North America and South America.

It is the largest international multi-sport event ever held in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and an audience of more than 54,000 witnessed a grand opening ceremony at Toronto's Rogers Center.

Produced by the Cirque du Soleil, the opening featured 625 performers from 25 different countries and regions, and included a parade of nations and the lighting of the cauldron.

An estimated 6,135 athletes set to represent 41 countries and regions in 364 events across 36 sports.

Canada, the host, has announced a full team of 719 athletes, the country's largest team ever fielded in its multi-sport games history. A number of Chinese-Canadians will compete in table tennis, badminton, tennis, women's softball and women's soccer.

Approximately 23,000 volunteers will contribute to the event. Meanwhile, Toronto will also stage Panamania, a 35-day arts and cultural festival in celebrations of the Americas running till mid August.

The Pan Am Games run until July 26, followed by the Parapan Am Games from August 7 to August 15.

The cost of Toronto Pan Am Games is pegged at 2.5 billion Canadian dollars (about 2 billion U.S. dollars). According to a report, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Toronto could be a good candidate for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games depending on how it fairs with the Pan Am Games.

The Pan American Games are a major sporting event in the Americas featuring summer sports, held every four years in the year before the Summer Olympic Games. The inaugural 1951 Games was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The previous Pan Am Games was held in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2011, and the next Games will be held in Lima, Peru in 2019. Endi