The International World Games Association has launched the bidding process for The World Games 2029. Interested cities can now download the bidding document, compiled by the IWGA for the multi-sport event in the summer of 2029, from the IWGA website.
IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow says of the official start of the process for the Games in seven years' time: “We have already had fruitful conversations with a number of cities that see our event as exciting and beneficial. From now on, they can follow up by processing an official application.”
The incoming applications will be evaluated by the relevant IWGA commission. The IWGA Board then decides on the next host city, based on the evaluation. The final ratification will be made by the IWGA General Assembly, which includes 39 international sports federations.
The bidding document that has now been published makes the decision easier than before for applicant cities. “We have compiled all the important information so that potential candidates can see exactly what requirements have to be met. They also get to understand why it is worth hosting The World Games,” says Joachim Gossow. The entire process should be as transparent as possible, he says. “In referring to sporting fairness, we also mean that we clearly state to our partners what is important for us, and we acknowledge their expectations to run an event such as The World Games successfully and with a lasting legacy.”
The IWGA has already defined the essential contents in its strategy paper ‘Growth beyond excellence’. The official values of The World Games are ‘Excellence, Sustainability and Inclusiveness’. “This is part of our DNA,” says Gossow. “We have been sustainable ever since our very first edition in 1981. We have always agreed that host cities do not have to build new competition venues for The World Games. We use the existing sports infrastructure, and look forward to being in exceptional venues.”
In 2013 in Cali, Colombia, the DanceSport competitions were held in a bullfighting arena. In 2017 in Wrocław, Poland, athletes in Powerlifting set their barbells ringing in a philharmonic concert hall. In 2022 in Birmingham, USA, Sloss Furnace, one of the first industrial sites to become a park for public use in the U.S., is one of the central competition venues.
“This makes it easier for applicant cities to decide in favour of The World Games. For a moderate budget, host cities get an outstanding sporting event that will have a lasting impact,” says the IWGA CEO. “In addition, the IWGA focuses on gender equality, and allows para-sport competitions as an inclusive part of the event.” Another characteristic of The World Games is the participation of the world’s best athletes from each sport and discipline.
The next edition of the Games will take place from 7 to 17 July 2022 in Birmingham, USA. More than 3,600 athletes will compete in 34 sports with a total of 223 medal events. The host city for the 12th edition of The World Games in 2025 is Chengdu, China.
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.
