More than 7,000 military executives and soldiers from about 120 countries gathered Friday in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, as the world’s largest sports competition among servicemen kicked off with the aim of promoting friendship and peace.

Organized by the International Military Sports Council and supervised by Seoul’s Defense Ministry, the Military World Games’ set out for a 10-day run under the theme, “Friendship together, peace forever.” 

The participants will compete in 24 events -- 19 general sports including archery, basketball, boxing, football, golf and judo, and five military specialties such as aeronautical pentathlon, parachuting and orienteering.

South Korea is setting sights on the third place this time with 25 gold medals. 

The quadrennial multisports event drew a record number of players this year, organizers say, with Brazil dispatching the biggest delegation of 277. South Korea came next with 271, followed by China and Russia each with 226. They have also invited some 40 nonmember countries and 17 of them including Japan have sent a delegation. 

North Korea, which took part in the 2011 edition in Brazil, is not participating this time.

“Since its inception in 1995 in Italy, the games have made a great leap to one of the world’s top three sports festivals along with the Olympics and Universiade,” said Kim Sang-ki, cochair of the steering committee, at a news conference on Thursday.

“Despite North Korea’s absence this year, I hope it will join us at the next one.” 

Later in the evening, the opening ceremony began with an entertaining air show by the Black Eagles, an Air Force special flight group here, followed by demonstrations of South Korea’s guards of honor and then Special Forces taekwondo team.

The show was orchestrated by Han Jung-gu, director of the opening and closing programs of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and directed by Son Jin-chaek, who led the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 World Cup.

Meanwhile, South Korean authorities have decided to deport nine Russian delegates who were detained at an immigration office here for creating an uproar while becoming drunk on their flight to Incheon early this week.

The players, five men and four women, are accused of violating the country’s aviation security law, committee spokesperson Yoo Ji-hyun told reporters.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)