The fourth Invictus Games will include over 500 competitors from 17 nations competing in 10 adaptive sports events

Prince Harry braved heavy rain on Wednesday to acknowledge well-wishers at Sydney’s harbourside as he marked 500 days until the city hosts the 2018 Invictus Games.

In a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Governor General Peter Cosgrove, the British royal told how he was inspired to create the games for wounded veterans as he was leaving Afghanistan, where he had served as an army captain in 2008.

“Sport is what would make the difference,” Prince Harry said. “Sport would help these guys and girls fix their lives and reconnect with those around them.”

“When a bomb left a number of people with life-changing injuries in Manchester last month, wounded veterans, including Invictus team members, immediately offered themselves up to provide advice and support to the victims through their recovery process,” Prince Harry said.

“The commitment to serve is ingrained in every member of the armed forces and is the embodiment of the Invictus spirit,” he added.