Madrid, Spain, 30 April 2025 – The International World Games Association (IWGA) convened its 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) today at the Novotel Madrid Las Ventas.
Over one hundred delegates from International Member Federations, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), National Sport Organisations (NSOs), partners, and representatives of the Chengdu 2025 and Karlsruhe 2029 Organising Committees gathered to review the IWGA’s latest developments, approve financial reports, discuss strategic matters, and prepare for the upcoming 12th edition of The World Games, scheduled to take place in Chengdu, China, from 7–17 August.
The meeting opened with a welcome address from IWGA President José Perurena, followed by a video message from International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Dr. Thomas Bach, delivered for the final time in his role. His message reaffirmed the IOC’s strong support for the IWGA and its flagship event.
The agenda included the adoption of the minutes from the 2024 AGM—unanimously approved—and a review of the 2024 Annual Report presented by IWGA CEO Mr. Joachim Gossow. Presentations on strategic topics, updates from various committees, and the financial report delivered by IWGA Treasurer Lukas Hinder followed.
In-depth briefings on The World Games 2025 were provided by the Chengdu Organising Committee team on-site, covering essential topics such as the competition schedule, accreditation, accommodation, visa procedures, and insurance. Delegates also received updates on The World Games 2029 in Karlsruhe, Germany, building excitement for the event’s return to the heart of Europe in four years’ time.
IWGA Communication and Media Director Anna Jacobson presented trophies to the three medallists of the 2024 Athlete of the Year award campaign: winner Veddriqu Leonardo (INA), runner-up Kristin Lätt (EST), and second runner-up Xin Tong (CHN). The trophies were accepted by the respective IF Presidents of Sport Climbing and Flying Disc, while the Director of the Lausanne Office accepted the trophy on behalf of Wushu.
Key learnings from the second edition of The World Games Series in Chengdu were shared by IWGA Deputy CEO Guillaume Felli, who has led the initiative since its inception three years ago. From 28–30 March 2025, the Series featured 123 athletes from 33 countries competing in three sports. The successful trial of venues, schedules, visa processes, and broadcasting in real-world conditions provided valuable insights just five months ahead of The World Games 2025. Notable achievements from the first two Series events, in Hong Kong, China (October 2024) and Chengdu, included high-level and gender-balanced competitions, increased visibility for IFs and athletes, enhanced sponsor engagement, and broader media and public exposure.
In his address, President Perurena expressed his gratitude to all attendees, stating:
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our delegates for their continued dedication and invaluable contributions to The World Games movement. Your commitment is the driving force behind our progress.
Today, I want to highlight the strong representation of NOCs / NSOs, with participation—either in person or online—from Austria, Belgium, China, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Spain, and Ukraine. This broad engagement underscores the IWGA’s strengthened ties with national committees around the globe, some relationships we deeply value.
As we look ahead to the 12th edition of The World Games in Chengdu, I wish everyone the very best. Our signature event promises to be a spectacular one and marks an exciting step into a vast and untapped market in Asia for our movement.”
In a heartwarming moment, delegates and the entire IWGA Family came together to celebrate President Perurena’s 80th birthday, marking the occasion with warm applause and heartfelt messages of appreciation for his decades of leadership.