Pyongyang, September 7 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Championships opened with due ceremony at the Basketball Gymnasium in Chongchun Street here on Friday.

At the championships, sports teams, players teams and sports education units in Pyongyang and local areas will compete in more than 550 categories of 39 events such as football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, gymnastics, weightlifting and Taekwon-Do.

The championships will take place in the capital city of Pyongyang and Sariwon and Wonsan cities and other parts of the country.

Present at the ceremony were Vice-Premier Kim Myong Hun, Chairman of the Korean Taekwon-Do Committee Kim Myong Gun, officials in the field of sports and sportspersons and citizens of Pyongyang.

O Kwang Hyok, vice-minister of Physical Culture and Sports, made an opening address.

There was a Teqball demonstration match. -0-