The World Games 2022 will feature exciting competition across a wide variety of sports. The sports programme will feature five invitational sports, each chosen by the host city of Birmingham, Alabama and approved by the IWGA.
To familiarise yourself with the five invitational sports, take a look at this peek behind the curtain.
Flag Football – Flag Football @TWG2022 Presented by the NFL, represents an exciting partnership between The World Games 2022 and the National Football League. Hosted at Birmingham’s historic Legion Field, Flag Football @TWG2022 Presented by the NFL will feature eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams from around the world and will represent Flag Football’s first appearance in The World Games. As the current reigning world champions, the United States men’s and women’s teams both pre-qualify for The World Games 2022. The remaining teams will be selected through the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) qualifying process. As part of their partnership with The World Games 2022, the NFL will serve as the presenting sponsor of flag football and will promote The Games across its international platforms over the next two years.
Wheelchair Rugby – The World Games 2022 will make history by including Wheelchair Rugby, the first adapted sport in the history of The Games. Wheelchair Rugby is played on an indoor hardwood court of the same measurements as a regulation basketball court. Wheelchair Rugby’s inclusion represents The World Games 2022 and the Birmingham Organizing Committee’s commitment to making The World Games accessible to everyone.
Men’s Lacrosse – Another sport appearing in The World Games for the first time, Men’s Lacrosse will be an invitational sport while Women’s Lacrosse will compete on the Official Programme. The men’s competition will feature eight teams with six players on the field at a time. With The World Games 2022 serving as the first edition of The Games in the United States since the inaugural edition, it makes perfect sense to include a wildly popular American sport like Lacrosse for both men and women.
Duathlon - The World Games 2022 will include two Duathlon races: Standard and Mixed Relay. Both races will test the endurance of the athletes as they run, cycle and then run again. Originating in France, the sport is conduct at sprint, standard, middle and long distance.
Wushu - Over its long history, Wushu, the collective term for the martial art practices that originated in China, has developed into numerous distinct styles and systems, each incorporating their own techniques, tactics, principles and methods, as well as the use of a wide variety of traditional weaponry. The World Games 2022 will feature Taolu whose routines comprise a continuously connected set of pre-determined techniques, choreographed according to certain principles and philosophies which incorporate techniques and stylistic principles of attack and defense.
To learn more about the Invitational Sports and the entire Sports Programme of The World Games 2022, click HERE.
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from over 30 sports and 100 countries will take part in The World Games.
