New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS): India will host the 2018 edition of the Theatre Olympics, an official announced on Monday.

"India has been given the right to host the 2018 edition," said National School of Drama (NSD) director Waman Kendre during the inauguration of a five-day festival of northeastern plays, "Poorvotta Rashtriya Rang Manch".

NSD chairman Ratan Thiyam returned to India on Sunday after attending a meeting in the Netherlands where the decision was taken.

Thiyam, an internationally acclaimed Manipuri playwright and theatre director, said hosting the event was important for India.

"Despite having good directors, playwrights, actors and technicians, India's presence is virtually nil in the world theatre scene," he said.

Established in 1993 in Delphi, Greece, in 1993 at the initiative of acclaimed Greek theatre director Theodorus Terzopoulus, Theatre Olympics is an international festival that brings together productions of some of the greatest theatre practitioners from across the world.

Till now, six editions have been held -- in Delphi, Shizuoka, Moscow, Istanbul, Seoul and Beijing.