Randall Woodfin, Mayor of Birmingham, promises that "we're going to have a lot of fun." At the kick-off press conference for The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, the host of 3,600 athletes from 104 nations appeared in good spirits. All the same, the bar is high for the organizers of the event, being held from 7th to 17th July. José Perurena, President of the International World Games Association, expects nothing less than the "best edition of The World Games ever." And Jonathan Porter, Chairman of the Birmingham Organising Committee, has promised just that: the best edition ever.
"We're ready to rumble," he added. Nick Sellers, CEO of the Birmingham Organizing Committee, expressed his confidence in providing sports fans in his city and the athletes with a once-in-a-lifetime experience during the ten Competition Days.
Joachim Gossow, IWGA CEO, described what makes this experience so special: "The World Games is more than 34 sports and 223 Medal Events in eleven days. The beauty of our event is that we bring these different sports together to create a unique atmosphere." Sofia Olofsson, reigning champion in Muaythai and one of the IWGA flag bearers at Thursday's opening ceremony, described another unique quality of the multi-sport event. "The Games are different, because here you only compete against champions. That makes it harder to win."
Joachim Gossow explained the principle to media representatives, saying "Only the best in each sport or discipline can qualify for the competitions. This promises exciting battles for the medals." From Mayor Randall Woodfin's point of view, this is also what makes the Games fun. Nick Sellers confirmed that these opportunities seem to very appealing to the people in his city. More than 300,000 tickets have been sold already, he claimed.
José Perurena broadened the perspective and reminded everyone at the same time that the road to Birmingham was full of challenges. "Many athletes have spent years preparing for the Games, looking forward to competing here in Birmingham. Some dreams were shattered by the pandemic." José Perurena also recalled the support for the 103 accredited athletes from Ukraine. Organizers will also donate one dollar from each ticket sold, to help rebuild the sports venues in Ukraine.
Randall Woodfin claimed, as one of the legacies of the Games, that the fun will in no way be over after the 17th of July, the day of the closing ceremony: "We have the opportunity to write a new chapter in the history of our city. And we are doing it in front of the eyes of the whole world. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us."
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support 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 34 sports and over 100 countries will take part in The World Games.
