Delegation from Poland met with IOC President Dr Bach in Lausanne
The World Games 2017 recognized as an important stepping stone
The IWGA President initiated a meeting with the Polish delegation and the IOC President Dr Thomas Bach in Lausanne. The guest from Poland presented the state of Wroclaw’s preparation for The World Games in 2017. The meeting was attended by Dr Bach and IOC sports director, Kit McConnell, as well as IWGA President, José Perurena and IWGA CEO, Joachim Gossow.
The President of the Polish Olympic Committee, Andrzej Krasnicki, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Sport and Tourism ,Dorota Idzi and the Mayor of Wroclaw, Rafal Dutkiewicz explained the progress of the preparation for the 10th edition of the multisport-event, that will be staged from 20 – 30 Juli 2017 in Wroclaw.
“We are very interested in the development of The World Games and non-Olympic sports,” emphasized Dr. Thomas Bach, head of the IOC, who has pledged to work closely with IWGA, since he took office.
Kit McConnell stressed during the meeting: “The close cooperation with The World Games is the result of a strategy established by the IOC.” He added: “The World Games’ Sports fit perfectly into this trend. For The World Games do not need to build a great infrastructure. What matters is to promote the movement and involvement for residents to have fun.”
For this reason, the next edition of The World Games will be closely observed by the IOC. The IOC will send its observers to Wroclaw and will evaluate the potential of disciplines, their popularity among viewers and the media.
President Bach explained that cities that organize The World Games would be in the association of Olympic cities, together with Barcelona, London, Sochi or Beijing. IWGA Presidet José Perurena was very pleased about this statement and exclaimed: „We are on our way to establishing a fruitful cooperation with the IOC. And we are very clear that The World Games in 2017 mark a very important stepping stone on this way.”
Rafal Dutkiewicz, the Mayor of Wrocław said: “Thomas Bach inquired about the atmosphere around the World Games in Wroclaw, because the IOC has high hopes for this event." According to Andrzej Kraśnicki, President of the Polish Olympic Committee, the level of organization of The World Games Sports in Wrocław may affect whether Poland will be chosen to host major sporting events in the future.
The representatives of the Polish delegation expressed that they will make every effort to ensure that The World Games in Wroclaw be the best in the nearly forty-year history of this event and that Poland be a reliable partner who meets its obligations. On behalf of the Polish NOC, President Kraśnicki explained the support of the sports communinty who will participate in the 2017 Event.