BRYAN, Texas (KRHD) — The Games of Texas are officially underway at Legends Event Center in Bryan.
Opening ceremonies celebrated the journey athletes made to compete, with doors opening at 6 p.m. to the sounds of arcade games and excitement before festivities moved to center stage.
Xander Alcozer said the moment felt like the payoff of a year's worth of work.
"I prepare for it all year round, so being here it's just, it's, it feels good to be here."
For some athletes, it was their first time experiencing the event.
"Just like very happy to be here and thankful. And it's like this is like my first time doing it, so it's like very a big experience," Daisy Alvarez said.
The ceremony stood out from other competitions for athletes like Kevonte Guess.
"I haven't had one like this where they had us come to a building and they give us stuff. Every other state meeting we would have to go to the meet and get stuff, but this is better. I like it," Guess said.
Bryan Parks and Recreation supervisor Matt Minahan said the event is modeled after the Olympic opening ceremony.
"Pretty cool, you know, with the Olympics, we model this after the Olympic opening ceremony. We have a parade of athletes. The Texas Amateur Athletic Federation TAFF has 17 regions, so athletes from those regions will parade out here, line up and parade out here," Minahan said.
As the sun set, fireworks capped off the night of celebrations. The focus now shifts to competitions, where athletes will look to make their mark.
For more information on the Games of Texas visit
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
