UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will take part in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, a UN spokesman said here on Tuesday.

The opening ceremony will be held on Friday. Ban will participate in a relay in which the Olympic Torch is handed over, and he will meet with the Refugee Olympic Team during his stay in Rio, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

The Rio Olympics will be held from Aug. 5 to 21 and the Paralympics from Sept. 7 to 18.

More than 10,000 athletes from a record number of countries will participate in the 2016 summer Olympics. For the first time ever, a team of refugees will participate under the Olympic flag in the Games.