The ceremony was witnessed by many Vietnamese and British senior officials, including British Consul General Douglas Barnes, as well as local athletes who will compete in the Games.

 The British diplomat said London is the first city that hosts the largest sport event in the world – the Olympic – for three times, including Olympic 1908, 1948 and 2012.

 The UK is the cradle of many leading sport events, he said, adding that the hosting of the upcoming Olympics Paralympics will help international friends gain a better understanding of the UK – an open, dynamic and creative nation.

 The Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to attract as many as 14,700 athletes from all over the world and 22,000 journalists. About four billion people will closely follow the events on different TV channels.

(VOV)