The World Games
IWGA

theworldgames.org
Looking forward to The World Games 2017in Wroclaw, Poland

CONTENTS
7910121618202228DEAR FRIENDS OF THE WORLD GAMESPRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD GAMESOUR FEDERATIONSOUR SPORTS & DISCIPLINES
ROAD TO WROCLAWTWG IN NUMBERS
OUR PARTNERSQUOTES
STAY IN TOUCH

DEAR FRIENDS OF THE WORLD GAMESIn 2017, The World Games celebrate an anniversary in Wroclaw/Poland: itwill be the 10th edition of this fascinating multi-sport event. We expect
more than 4,500 participants from over 100 nations, fighting for WorldGames gold in 27 sports and disciplines. These figures alone show how
much the event has developed since its beginnings in Santa Clara in 1981. It
showcased no more than 18 sports then, and some 1265 athletes attended.
Other comparisons also highlight what has been achieved in the past
decades. In The Hague 1983, we sold 70,000 tickets. The organizers in Cali
2013 proudly reported 520,000 spectators. In 1983, TV coverage was limited
to four hours, while in Cali we had 100 hours of TV coverage visible in 120
countries all over the world.
However, this dynamic development is no reason forcomplacency. It increases our motivation to achieve
more. In a single sentence: we want to take The WorldGames to the next level. This is something that we cannot
accomplish by ourselves. It requires a strong partnershipwith the IOC. The World Games are complementary to theOlympic Games and can offer sports and disciplines withthe same quality and interest as the Olympic sports.
It was very important for us that former IOC President
Juan Antonio Samaranch committed the IOC to patronageof The World Games. His successor, Dr Rogge, continued
to give support, and the new IOC President, Dr. ThomasBach, has reiterated his interest in continuing the closeco-operation.

6IWGA The World GamesAt the same time, we rely on co-operation with our 37
member federations. The World Games offer thema window of opportunity to showcase their nonOlympic sports or disciplines. It is our ambition to pushforward together and attract more public attention. The
federations’ support for our Games is the key to success.
Last, but not least, we need co-operation with strong
external partners. These include Ufa Sports, our marketing
specialist, and Swiss Timing our official timekeeper. Weowe our success to teamwork and are aware of our chief
responsibility: The World Games are not staged for theAssociation’s sake. The athletes always take centerstage. We have to meet their needs. The World Gamesremain their Games, not ours.

7THE ATHLETES TAKECENTER STAGE.

PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLDGAMESThe World Games take place every four years in the year following
the Olympic Summer Games. Within ten competition days, they
showcase over 25 non-Olympic sports. About 3,500 athletes from
more than 100 countries fight for gold in more than 180 medal
events during The World Games. And most important: the athletes
take centre stage. The World Games are their games, giving themthe opportunity to perform at the highest level in their sports
and disciplines. The organizer is the International World Games
Association (IWGA), founded in 1980.
HOSTING AN INTERNATIONAL
GET-TOGETHER

makes it more feasible to use the sports venues
and infrastructure in a sustainable way.

Unlike a world championship in an individual sport,
The World Games offer spectators the possibility
to experience the diversity of sport in an authentic
setting and at a world-class level. More than 3,500
sportsmen and sportswomen have the chance tomeet not only their international counterparts intheir discipline, but also athletes in other sports.
The multi-sports event is a gathering of The WorldGames family.

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE IOC

USING EXISTING SPORT VENUES AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
The host city of The World Games is encouraged
to use existing sport infrastructure for the event.
There is no obligation to build new venues. Thismeans that the investment required to renovate
or adjust the venues to the needs of the specificsports is manageable. In addition, this practice

8IWGA The World Games

The World Games are held under the patronageof the International Olympic Committee. They are
the multi-sport event of the member sports ordisciplines that are not included in the Olympic
programme. A number of sports that are now inthe Olympic sports programme were previously
part of The World Games. Among these are:Triathlon, Taekwondo, Badminton and Rugby.
Other sports that were once Olympic, now belong
to The World Games family. They include Tug-ofWar and Softball. The World Games understandthemselves to be part of the Olympic family andsubscribe to the same acknowledged values,
which include, among others: fair play, adherence
to the Anti-Doping Code and a commitment toprotect the environment.

9OUR FEDERATIONS

10International Aikido Federation (IAF)International Fistball Association (IFA)

Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL)International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC)

The World Air Sports Federation (FAI)International Floorball Federation (IFF)International Life Saving Federation (ILS)World Squash Federation (WSF)

World Archery Federation (WA)World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF)

International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA)

International Sumo Federation (IFS)World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS)

International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)

International Netball Federation (INF)

International Surfing Association (ISA)

International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB)International Handball Federation (IHF)

International Orienteering Federation (IOF)

Tug of War International Federation (TWIF)World Confederation of Boules Sport (CMSB)International Hockey Federation (FIH)

International Powerlifting Federation (IPF)

World Underwater Federation (CMAS)World Bowling (WB)

Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF)

International Racquetball Federation (IRF)

International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF)

International Canoe Federation (ICF)

World Karate Federation (WKF)

International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS)International Casting Sport Federation (ICSF)

World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO)

World Rugby (WR)World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)

International Korfball Federation (IKF)

World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)

IWGA The World Games

THE WORLD GAMES FAMILY11OUR SPORTS & DISCIPLINES
Artistic &Dance Sport

BallSports

MartialArts

Precision
SportsStrentghSports

TrendSports

Artistic Roller Skating

Beach Handball

AikidoBilliards

Bodybuilding

Canopy Piloting

DanceSport

Canoe Polo

Ju-Jitsu

Boules Sports

Powerlifting

Glider Aerobatics

Acrobatic Gymnastics

FistballKarateBowlingTug of War

Paramotoring

Aerobic Gymnastics

Floorball

Kickboxing

Casting

Finswimming

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Indoor Hockey

Muaythai

Field Archery

Inline Hockey

Trampoline

Korfball

SumoTumbling

Lacrosse

Orienteering

Netball

Speed Skating

Racquetball

Sport Climbing

Rugby

Surfing

SoftballUltimate Flying Disc

SquashWaterski & WakeboardLife Saving

SIMPLY THE BEST
Qualification for The World Games
competitions follows a simple
principle:
Only the top athletes or teams inevery sport or discipline qualify forparticipation and may compete intheir sport.
In general, the eight best athletes
or the eight or six best teams in a
sport are allowed to “go for gold”
in The World Games. This ensures
top-level competitions right fromthe start. Different to the Olympics,
the invitation to and managementof the competitions are in thehands of the international sports
federations.

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OUR FAMILY

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ROAD TO WROCLAWThe World Games offer a showcase
for young, new and attractive sports
to present themselves. The origins of
this event go back to the 1970s. Someinternational sport federations decided to pursue the idea of a multi-sport
event that would not be in competition with the Olympic Games, but be acomplement to them.

1981
1985
1989
1993

Santa Clara, USA
London, GBR
Karlsruhe, GER
The Hague, NED

1997
2001
2005
2009

Lahti, FIN
Akita, JPN
Duisburg, GER

2013
2017
2021

Cali, COL
Wroclaw, POL
Birmingham, USA

Kaohsiung, TPE

The 1st edition of The World Games took place in SantaClara, California/USA in 1981. 1285 sportsmen and sportswomen came to that event and competed for the medals
in 18 different sports. The games in Lahti/Finland in1997
marked an important milestone on the way to a top-classinternational multi-sport event. After that 5th edition, thecooperation with the IOC was sealed. Since then The WorldGames have been held under the patronage of the IOC.
High-level IOC members have used the event for meetingwith The World Games family, including Jacques Rogge in
Duisburg 2005 and Cali 2013. IOC Vice President Kevin Gosper and Igaya Chiharu were present in Kaohsiung 2009. Thecurrent IOC President, Thomas Bach, visited the opening
ceremony in Cali and some of the competitions during the9th edition in Colombia.
Another benchmark was reached in 2005. In Duisburg the“parade of athletes” was grouped by nations for the firsttime. The new protocol, which was agreed to by the IOC,
allows for closer links between the National Olympic Committees and The World Games.
After taking place in Asia for the first time in Akita/Japan
2001, The World Games made their debut on the SouthAmerican continent in 2013 in Cali/Colombia. In 2017 thegames will celebrate their comeback on the European continent. Wroclaw/Poland is looking forward to showing its
hospitality to The World Games family.

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TWG IN NUMBERS

37 60Sports

3.500

Disciplines Athletes

100 20+ 900
Nations

VenuesMedia

37 federations are part of the WorldGames Family, which gives them
the unique opportunity to present
sports and non-Olympic disciplines
as a part of The World Games multisport event. About 25 sports aredesignated to take part in one of theeditions of The World Games.

Most of the sports have different disciplines
which are showcased at The World Games. For
example, Handball is one of the sports. During
this event the spectators can experience thefascination of Beach Handball. And there ismuch more to Roller Sports than Speed Skating.
Inline Hockey and Artistic Roller Skating arepart of the programme for The World Games2017 in Wroclaw, too!

3.500 Athletes gather every four years tocelebrate an event which is dedicated tothem. The World Games put the athletes infocus. The World Games are their games.
And what is special about this event? Onecan expect nothing but the top athletes ineach sport to compete for Gold.

More than 100 Nations are represented
at The World Games. Athletes, officials
and umpires come from all over theworld for this multi-sport event: From
A for Australia to Z for Zimbabwe.

More than 20 venues set the stages forthe stars of each sport. The diversity of thesports requires different kinds of facilities:
a swimming pool, a beach arena, a dome
or a stadium. About 20 venues are needed
to stage this multisport event. And there
is more: because using existing venues isencouraged, there has been Dance Sport ina bullfighting ring, sumo in the giant hallof an old steel factory and acrobatics in amusical theatre.

900 Media representatives covered TWG
2013 in Cali all over the world. Journalists,
TV commentators, photographers, andcameramen reported on the 9th edition
in Cali. The Competitions were watchedworldwide on TV in 120 countries. In total, 25
TV stations covered the multi-sport event.
Working together with UFA Sports/Germanyand experts in selling TV rights, even morecoverage in 2017 is expected, when Wroclaw
will raise the interest of the international
sports media.

Spectators

500.000
500.000 Spectators created an awesome atmosphere whenCali/Colombia staged The World Games in 2013. 10 days ofsports fascinated the citizens and made The World Gamesnot only the “talk of the town” but also of the region andColombia.

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OUR PARTNERSDISCOVER THE WORLD OF SPORTS

FICS

SWISS TIMINGUFA SPORTS

VIP SPORTSTRAVELThe Federation Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport(FICS) is a recognized member of International Council ofSport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE). Membersof the FICS organization are proud to offer complementary
sport chiropractic care to all competitors, coaches andjudges at The World Games. The chiropractors make itpossible for athletes to receive free treatment as manytimes as needed. Since the 7th edition of The World Games2005 in Duisburg, FICS and IWGA have been partners. The
association allows the provision of voluntary service.

Swiss Timing has been the official timing and result
service provider of The World Games. The Swisscompany, experienced in serving for the Olympics andThe Commonwealth Games, provides TV Graphics for live
broadcasting and highlight shows. Swiss Timing also takes
care of the accreditation system and services for The WorldGames. The cooperation with Swiss Timing began with the
7th edition of The World Games in Dusiburg/Germany.

In October 2012, UFA Sports and the IWGA signed amarketing cooperation concerning the distribution of theinternational media and commercial rights for The WorldGames 2013 in Cali/Colombia and 2017 in Wroclaw/Poland.
As consultant and exclusive international marketer of The
World Games, UFA Sports provides, in cooperation with theInternational World Games Association (IWGA), the widest
possible exposure to the public and the media of thisinternational top class event. The IWGA wants to benefit
from UFA Sports’ expertise in the field of international
media rights distribution, sale of corporate sponsorships
and strengthening brand identities in sport.

The IWGA cooperates with VIP Sportstravel as its worldwide
travel partner for The World Games. VIP Sportstravel
specialises in travel fulfilment and 360° handling forsponsors, corporate and individual clients. The company
offers extensive and individually tailored services to theirclients. VIP Sportstravel, founded in December 2008 in
Switzerland, has extensive and broad experience in travel
and hospitality arrangements for major sport events suchas the 2010 FIFA World Cup or the 2012 UEFA EURO.

THE WORLD GAMES CHANNEL
The International World Games Federation (IWGA) presents its own video channel
under the tag: “Discover the World of Sports”.
The Word Games Channel is a media platform for the top events of its member associations.
IWGA intends to strengthen the brand The Word Games and to raise more awareness of its
members’ sports in the run-up to the upcoming World Games. The channel helps the IWGA tohave an on-going presence in the years between events. It is a permanent platform that makes
the events accessible and supports the member federations to present their outstanding
competitions and best athletes.
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IWGA The World Games21

QUOTES“The World Games 2013
were a fascinating event.
It was a thrilling experience
because the audience was so
unbelievably enthusiastic. That
inspired me even more. The
games were breath-taking.
From the very beginning, justthink of the atmosphere atthe Opening Ceremony. It was
really great to be part of it.”Marcel Hassemeier (GER)
Life Saving

Most successful athlete of The World Games 2013
and IWGA Athlete of the Year

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IWGA The World Games““We have the obligation to create the best WorldGames to show the world of sports the potential
and the future of this multi-sports event. We
are able to take our event to the next level andto show that we have sports that are of Olympic
level. I see the World Games as complementary
to the Olympic Movement.”

José Perurena

The International World Games Association(IWGA), an IOC-Recognised Organisation, is avalued member of the Olympic Family. The IWGA
encourages the practice of sport and promotes
its values worldwide, particularly among theyounger generations. The International Olympic
Committee counts on the IWGA as a partner tocontinue to promote and reinforce the importance of sport.”

Dr. Thomas BachIWGA President

IOC President

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QUOTES“The World Games are for all athletes themost important sport event on quality andaudience, immediately after the Olympic
Games. Because this event is for our sport itis a unique and fantastic window to showcase
its outstanding performances. We saw theenthusiasm of our athletes at The World

Gaston Parage
President of the International Powerlifting Federation

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IWGA The World Games

Games 2013 with an exceptional supportiveaudience. And we expect this kind ofenthusiasm in Wroclaw 2017, too. I have been
taking part in four World Games as an official
and I see that The World Games become more
and more popular. It is for us a great andfantastic event.”“There is something about thefreshness of this event, the way people
embrace it and the way athletescompete in it. It is also a great chancefor promoting the city. This is all very
interesting for me. I am pleased that weare hosting the largest sport event in
the history of Poland – the 10th editionof The World Games.”“The World Games is a unique event.
In Cali, incorporating local elements
made the Games more unique. The
sports program is dynamic and has anincredible mix of sports and events,
which creates a very exciting program.
Because so many of these sports want
to be on the Olympics, they are eager toput on a good show.”Rafal Dutkiewiecz

Ed Hula III

Lord Mayor of the City of Wroclaw

Editor of Around the Rings

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I AM The World Gamesby Michael Weintrob 2013

STAY IN TOUCH
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Broadcasting sports of The World Games Family