BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said Thursday that the Thai boys soccer team rescued from cave this summer will attend the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
The junior players, who made international headlines in June when they became trapped in a flooded cave for almost two weeks, have been invited to attend the Youth Olympic Games which are set to begin on Saturday.
The 13-strong team, who were all rescued from the flooded cave in the Chang Rai Province of Thailand, will watch the opening ceremony in the Argentine capital and various sporting events including soccer.
Bach said: "We are happy that the boys' team from Thailand have accepted our invitation to join the young athletes here in the Youth Olympics. They will live together with the athletes in the Olympic Village and in such a way, I believe they will be able to share their experiences and how much sport helped them through this dangerous and extremely difficult situation."
"They had been trapped for 17 days not knowing if they would be rescued. This resilience, this courage are also part of the Olympic values. I think this meeting between YOG athletes and the soccer players from Thailand will be enriching the lives of both," Bach added.
During their visit they will meet Bach, and a soccer match will be organized for them to play during these Games.
The 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires will run through to Oct. 18, with the opening ceremony set to take place outside of a stadium in a format not seen before. It will be staged at the landmark Obelisk monument in the center of the city.
