Competition heats up at Int'l Abilympics on first day

SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Yonhap) -- Competition heated up on the first day of this year's international skill contest for disabled persons in Seoul, its organizing committee said Wednesday.
Participants showed off their vocational skills in 16 different contests at the 8th International Abilympics (IA), hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Seoul metropolitan government. In the competition running from Sept. 26-30, competitors show off their skills in many disciplines, including cooking, floral arrangement, basket making and electronics assembly.
The IA, first held in Tokyo, Japan in 1981, was launched by the United Nations to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities as part of efforts to improve vocational skills, to boost motivation to participate in socio-economic activities, and to promote stability by increasing the employment rate of persons with disabilities. The event is held every four years.
The name of the competition is derived from the words "ability" and "Olympics."
South Korea's Lee Kyong-A and Cho Eun-young competed in the newly adopted cooking competition, where contestants make a meal for two people utilizing several tools.
Meanwhile, 20 participants from 14 countries competed in floral arrangement, including South Korea's Song Jae-hwan and Cha Seung-joo who are archrivals and strong contestants.
South Korea is trying to win more medals than any other country during the competition for the fifth consecutive time.