Present there were Kim Yong Hun, minister of Physical Culture and Sports, Kanji Inoki, chief director of the Sports Peace Community Association of Japan, and Jang Ung, chairman of the International Martial Arts Games Committee, who are co-chairmen of the organizing committee of the contest, Pak Kun Gwang, chairman of the DPRK-Japan Friendship Association, Kim Myong Chol, executive member of the International Martial Arts Games Committee, people, youth and students in the city, couples of foreign diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations here and their wives, foreign guests and overseas compatriots.

The opening ceremony started with a peculiar art performance.

Pro-wrestlers to take part in the contest entered the gymnasium.

At the ceremony, Kanji Inoki made an address.

He said he was pleased to note that it was his 30th visit to the DPRK since he paid his first visit to the DPRK in 1994 thanks to his relationship with his teacher Rikidozan (Kim Sin Rak).

Exchanges between countries start and develop through exchanges of sports, culture and other fields, he said.

He expressed expectation that the door of the Japan-DPRK relations which had long remained closed would be open and the two countries would become "close and friendly neighbors," not "near and distant countries" with the current international contest as an occasion.

Then Jang Ung made a speech.

He warmly welcomed the pro-wrestlers of different countries of the world who came to Pyongyang to take part in the contest and other foreigners who came to watch it.

Jang went on:

We will as ever make positive efforts to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity with countries in the sports exchange and other fields in the idea of independence, peace and friendship.

He expressed the belief that all pro-wrestlers taking part in the contest would give full play to their special techniques and skills and please the spectators and glorify the contest as an event to be specially recorded in the history of the world pro-wrestling contests.