SOFIA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The 2nd World Taekwondo Europe (WTE) Multi European Games were officially opened here in the Asics Arena Hall on Friday.

The event, which will end on Sunday, gathered 2,000 athletes of kids to seniors from 50 countries and regions, Bulgaria's Minister of Youth and Sports Krasen Kralev said at the opening ceremony.

In recent years, taekwondo has been one of the fastest growing sports in Bulgaria and has brought many successes for the country, Kralev said.

Slavi Binev, President of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation and former member of the European Parliament, said in turn that this is the third biggest taekwondo competition in Europe and the fourth in the world.

"Taekwondo is not only a sport, it is a lifestyle, but the more important thing - it is 'a factory for personalities,'" Binev said.