ALGIERS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The third African Youth Games kicked off here on Wedensday as some 3,300 athletes from 54 African countries and regions competing in 30 sports until July 28.

The opening ceremony was held in 5th July Stadium in upper Algiers, as delegations of participating teams were introduced.

The ceremony was marked by the presence of Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, as well as Sports Minister, a representative of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), and President of the Algerian Olympic Committee.

Later in the night, a special artistic gala was held at the 5th July stadium, as the history of the African continent from ancient times to modern times was traced. The gala was baptized "the Sun of Africa."

These games are reserved for young athletes not exceeding the age of 18, to stand on the brinks of becoming the future starlets of the African sports.

The games are also qualifying to the Youth Olympic Games that Argentina is due to host in the forthcoming October.

The first African Youth Games were held in 2010 in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, while the second edition was hosted by Botswana's Gaborone in 2014. Enditem