TWG 2005 Duisburg, GER

The host city

With the successful games in Karlsruhe (1989) in mind, expectations were high when Duisburg won the bid to host the World Games 2005, together with its neighbouring cities Mulheim, Bottrop and Oberhausen. Duisburg lived up to these high expectations. The grand Opening Ceremony in the renewed MSV Arena in Duisburg with an attendance of more than 30.000 persons set the pace for the successful event.

The organization and management of the event impressed the participants and the competition performance of the athletes was certainly positively affected by the quality of the sport venues. Duisburg continued a tradition which started in Akita 2001: the World Games Plaza - the meeting place for athletes and citizens. Duisburg also introduced a new and good element of the World Games i.e. central catering. The athletes came together for their meals in a huge pavilion tent which again created the multi-sport feeling that the athletes had had in the dining hall at the campus of Santa Clara during the first World Games.