President of the Children of Asia International Committee Vladimir Maximov:
- Welcome to Yakutsk for the VIII Children of Asia Games! On behalf of the International Committee, I congratulate you on this long-awaited celebration of sport and friendship! Today many people remember the opening of the first Games in 1996. For almost 30 years a huge amount of work has been done and today we welcome the Children of Asia Games as one of the main and effective projects to educate and train not just champions, but people who make a great contribution to the development and prosperity of their countries and regions.
Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Aysen Nikolaev:
- I am excited and happy to meet here today friends from many Asian countries, regions of Russia in our hospitable Yakutia. We have been waiting for this day for a long time. The Children of Asia Games are not only a major sporting event for us. It is a symbol of our spiritual and cultural values, our openness and aspiration to the future, which was brought to this world by our first president Mikhail Nikolaev.
Stanislav Pozdnyakov, President of the Russian Olympic Committee:
- Today in Yakutsk, you have become members of a large international Olympic family. The Children of Asia Games give you a unique and in many ways priceless opportunity to dive into the real Olympic atmosphere, to feel the unique atmosphere of competitions between the strongest sportsmen in various sports, to make new friends, to get acquainted with Yakutia and, most importantly, with each other. In the next two weeks you will be making history and I am sure that many of the young participants of these competitions will have further great success.
Minister of Sports of Russia Mikhail Degtyarev:
- I congratulate all athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers and guests on the start of the 8th Children of Asia Games. Exciting sports competitions in 24 sports are waiting for you. I express my gratitude to the Head of Yakutia and all the people of the region for their hospitality and well-coordinated work in preparing and holding the Games.
