Frankfurt, Germany – 13 January 2026 — The International World Games Association (IWGA), together with partner Quantum Consultancy, successfully hosted a one-day NOC- NSO Debrief & Workshop in Frankfurt today.
The event gathered feedback from The World Games 2025 in Chengdu and delivered tailored operational support to 14* registered National Olympic Committees and National Sports Organisations.
The workshop is part of the IWGA’s ongoing work to deepen collaboration with national sports bodies, aligning with the organisation’s broader engagement with NOCs and NSOs.
IWGA emphasises the pivotal role of these entities in promoting The World Games and supporting athletes’ preparation and participation, which underscores the value of events such as this workshop.
The workshop was made possible with the support of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), whose cooperation and hosting assistance in Frankfurt were greatly appreciated by the IWGA and participating organisations.
Workshop Highlights
The 32 participants received a structured review of lessons learned from TWG 2025, engaged in interactive discussions, and heard updates on the future host city of TWG 2029, Karlsruhe.
Key components of the programme included:
- Presentation of evaluation findings and operational learnings from The World Games Chengdu 2025.
- Sharing of NOC and NSO experiences on site, spotlighting best practices and challenges.
- Interactive sessions to solicit feedback and create priorities for future national level engagement.
- An update on the next host city, Karlsruhe 2029.
- Perspectives from NSO representatives and a spotlight segment featuring the Hungarian Competitive Sport Federation (NSO).
- Breakout sessions aimed at enhancing the NOC NSO experience and impact, culminating in conclusions and next steps.
The day concluded with practical guidance for national bodies as they prepare for upcoming editions, including strategic and operational actions to amplify athlete support, national visibility, and stakeholder satisfaction in future Games.
Tom Dielen, IWGA Vice President, expressed appreciation for the collaboration that made the workshop possible:
“The insights shared by NOCs and NSOs during this workshop are extremely valuable as we continue to enhance how we support them in delivering successful participation at The World Games. Understanding what worked well in Chengdu, where challenges remain, and how cooperation can be strengthened—particularly in operations, logistics, and communication—is essential for future planning.
“Our objective is to create the best possible framework for NOCs and NSOs to fulfil their role effectively, ensuring engagement with The World Games is efficient, transparent, and meaningful. Looking ahead, we are committed to deepening our partnerships, including through expanded Memoranda of Understanding, to enable earlier involvement, clearer roles, and closer collaboration as we prepare for future editions and explore new hosting opportunities worldwide.
“We are grateful to the DOSB for hosting us in Frankfurt and to Quantum for expertly facilitating the workshop. We also thank our colleagues from the Karlsruhe 2029 Organising Committee for sharing their perspectives as we look ahead to the next edition of The World Games.”
NOC-NSO Representatives Statements
Chinese Olympic Committee Deputy Director General, Sport Department, Ms. Ping Kang said: “Attending the debrief and workshop for the first time has been a valuable experience. It represents an important opportunity for NOCs and NSOs to come together and reflect on the expertise gained from The World Games 2025. This platform allows participants to exchange knowledge and practical insights on operations and event preparation for future editions. The discussions have been both productive and constructive.
“I will return home with the very positive feedback shared in Frankfurt regarding The World Games in Chengdu, including strong media coverage, effective outreach, and the highly encouraging response from athletes. I will also report on the impressive overall evaluation of the event and convey our congratulations to the Chengdu 2025 Organising Committee for their excellent work. Taking part in this workshop has enabled me to gain valuable experience that will contribute to the future organisation of multi-sport events.”
DOSB Non-Olympic Sports Officer, Christoph Fischer said: “My first impression was that all NOCs-NSOs involved today face the same challenges in preparation for The World Games and also during Games-time in Chengdu. I have identified that many issues we encountered in Chengdu were also experienced by other NOCs-NSOs and raised up today during the sessions. Hosting a debrief workshop is key to learn from these challenges but mostly to improve from an edition to another. Karlsruhe will definitely have a different identity than the Chengdu Games but a lot of processes will be similar, especially regarding the NOCs-NSOs’ involvement. So it’s of upmost importance to have those meetings and gather feedback to improve for next time.
“This event holds s special importance for us as Germany is the next host of TWG. It’s helpful for us to have the NOCs-NSOs with us and the Karlsruhe 2029 Organising Committee to directly collect inputs via the IWGA or the DOSB.”
The IWGA and Quantum will synthesise findings from the workshop into actionable recommendations and follow up initiatives and further engagement opportunities, including future workshops and collaborative planning sessions, are anticipated as the IWGA continues to work closely with NOCs, and NSOs, toward 2029 and beyond.
List of participants*:
- Sport Austria
- Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC)
- German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)
- Hungarian Competitive Sports Federation (NVESZ)
- Nederlands Olympisch Comité*Nederlandse Sport Federatie (NOC*NSF)
- Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee,
- Chinese Olympic Committee
- Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
- Ayelet – The Federation of Non-Olympic Sport in Israel,
- Japan World Games Association (JWGA)
- Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois (COSL)
- Sports Committee of Ukraine
- South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
- Comité Olímpico de Portugal
- TWG 2029 Karlsruhe Organising Committee
- Quantum Consultancy
- International World Games Association (IWGA)