People walk near the venue of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug 21, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

JOHANNESBURG - People-to-people interaction among the BRICS countries will get a major boost next week as South Africa is set to host the 5th edition of the BRICS Games in eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province, a senior South African government official has said.

South Africa will host the BRICS Games in eThekwini on Oct 18-21, and hundreds of athletes aged between 19 and 21 from the BRICS nations will compete in swimming, badminton, table tennis, tennis, and beach volleyball, South African Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa said on Saturday.

"The 2023 BRICS Games promise to be a special experience for all. Further to the strong partnerships that already exist between the BRICS nations, these games will also show the power of sport to unite and deepen connections. It brings people, communities, and nations together," said Kodwa.

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South Africa is currently the BRICS chair and hosted the 15th BRICS Summit in August this year.