The latest edition of the games will see more than 4,000 athletes from at least 55 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation competing for 355 medals.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has officially opened the fifth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games in the central Anatolian city of Konya, Türkiye.

Erdogan declared the games open on Tuesday at a dazzling opening ceremony, which was also attended by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev along with dignitaries from several nations.

The sporting event, which will be held from August 9-18, was originally planned to be held in 2021. 

It was postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

More than 4,000 athletes from at least 55 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will compete in 24 sports, ranging from archery to basketball and judo to swimming for 355 medals. 

The Islamic Solidarity Games is an event held by the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF).

The games aim to "support the development of the athletes of the Islamic geography and to increase the culture of brotherhood and solidarity among the athletes," according to the event website. 

Non-Muslim citizens in member states are also able to participate in the games.

The first Islamic Islamic Solidarity Games were held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2005. The fourth edition was held in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2017. 

Source: TRT World