2022 World Games

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The 2021 World Games is an international sporting competition scheduled to be held in Birmingham from July 15, 2021 to July 25, 2021. The event, which debuted in 1981, brings together approximately 3,600 athletes from as many as 100 countries every four years to compete in dozens of sports that are not contested at the Olympic Games.

The International World Games Association is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and acts under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. Birmingham's organizers, led by Scott Myers and Edgar Weldon of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and accompanied by David Benck of Hibbett Sports and Birmingham City Council president Johnathan Austin, made the final pitch in competition with Lima, Peru and Ufa, Russia in Lausanne. Additional support was lent by former IWGA president Ron Froehlich, who has lived in Birmingham since 1976.

The city's bid was supported by the City of Birmingham, the State of Alabama and the United States Olympic Committee. IWGA president José Perurena announced Birmingham as the selection on January 22, 2015. This will be the first World Games held in the United States since the inaugural games hosted in Santa Clara, California.

Alabama Power executive Jonathan Porter succeeded Weldon as chair of the organizing committee in July 2016. Porter's committee met with IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow and media coordinator Hagan Bossdorf in September of that year, acknowledging that a lot of work would be required to get the plans on schedule. Local organizers project an overall budget of less than the $75 million originally discussed. Because of limited availability of public funds, planners expect to house athletes in university dormitories rather than in hotels.

Mokovets expects overall attendance of around 100,000, with a "conservative" estimate of local revenues at $5.1 million, or $20.5 million statewide. The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau has estimated that the event could provide an overall economic impact to the region of between $224.4 and $288.6 million.

In March 2017 veteran event organizer D. J. Mackovets was hired as CEO of the Birmingham World Games. In December of that year the Committee announced a proposed budget of $48 million, more than half of which would be raised privately through corporate sponsorships. The event would require 2,200 volunteers to assist with 3,600 expected athletes from 100 countries, as well as around 1,000 members of the press.

In July 2019 "World Games Vulcan" was announced as the event's official mascot, along with the addition of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama as a foundation sponsor for the event and title sponsor for a "Live Healthy, Play Global" education program. Other foundation sponsors include Alabama Power, Protective Life, Regions and Shipt.

Events

Sports to be included within the event were announced in April 2018 at the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, Thailand. Softball and racquetball were returned to the event after eight- and 36-year absences, respectively. A total of 35 events will be contested at the 2021 World Games, including 30 selected by the IWGA and five "invitational" events selected by the Birmingham Organizing Committee.

  • Artistic & Dance sports (Dance, Gymnastics, Parkour)
  • Ball sports (Beach Handball, Canoe Polo, Fistball, Floorball, Handball, Korfball, Lacrosse, Racquetball, Softball, Squash)
  • Martial Arts (Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Kickboxing, Muaythai, Sumo)
  • Precision sports (Archery, Billiards, Boules Sports, Bowling)
  • Roller sports (Figure Skating, Inline Hockey, Speed Skating)
  • Speedway
  • Strength sports (Tug of War, Powerlifting)
  • Trend sports (Air Sports, Finswimming, Flying Disc, Lifesaving, Orienteering, Sport Climbing, Waterski & Wakeboard)
  • Invitational sports (American Football, Duathlon, Lacrosse, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Basketball)

Venues

Confirmed venues

Potential venues

References

External links

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