05 August 2016•Update: 05 August 2016
NEW YORK
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday celebrated the beginning of the Olympic Games during his trip to host city Rio de Janeiro.
"We can all feel the excitement of the Olympic Games. Scores of teams, thousands of athletes and hundreds of millions of fans around the world are waiting for the games to begin," Ban said at a dinner hosted by International Olympic Committee chair Thomas Bach.
This year's games is the first held in a South American country, and the IOC has taken the unprecedented step of including a refugee team representing the world's 65 million refugees.
Ban also had a message for the refugee team. "I know you have had very sad, terrible stories and experiences, but you are a source of inspiration for all of us," he said. "Your stories are very sad but, at the same time, you can be a source of hope for many people."
The Opening Ceremonies will be held Friday. The games run until Aug. 25.
