The International World Games Association (IWGA) Executive Committee (ExCo) held its fourth meeting of the year on 17–18 August 2024, in Madrid, Spain. This pivotal gathering, coming a year ahead of The World Games 2025 Chengdu, was attended by all seven* IWGA ExCo Members and focused on several major decisions that will shape the future of the organisation and its events.
The Madrid meeting underscored the IWGA’s firm commitment to innovation, global outreach to new audiences, and dedication to the success of its members and athletes. One of the topics discussed was the bidding for The World Games 2033.
Other major topics of discussion were:
Financial Matters
Treasurer Lukas Hinder provided the financial reports which indicate a stable performance, demonstrating overall financial health.
The World Games 2025 Chengdu
Significant time was devoted to reporting about the One-Year-to-Go celebrations and the preparations for TWG 2025, the most anticipated event on the IWGA calendar.
The IWGA delegation attending the One-Year-to-Go countdown festivities praised the LOC's efforts and impressive event setup, which attracted significant media attention and interest from the regional communities and increased excitement for The World Games.
Planning for the upcoming array of meetings to take place in October was also top of the agenda in Madrid.
The World Games Series 2024–2025
Following the IWGA leadership site visit in Hong Kong, China, on 8–10 August, the ExCo also discussed the development of the TWG Series, aiming to further promote and expand The World Games' brand globally.
OTT Platform and TWG 2025 Rights Distribution
Discussions centred around the final stages of the production plan, rights selling and image distribution. The development phases and features of the OTT platform were also presented, while the mobile app design and navigation was introduced by IWGA partner ISB represented by Ursula Romero. Explanations about how the player will be integrated with the existing IWGA assets such as the website were given. Sponsors opportunities and new commercial streams were also discussed.
IWGA Athletes Committee
The progress of the Athletes Committee election process was reviewed with a focus on enhancing athlete engagement and representation across IWGA events.
A motion introduced by IWGA AC Chair Sandra Sanchez, aimed at supporting breastfeeding athletes by allowing them to bring their babies to The World Games 2025 and future events, has been approved. Although detailed guidelines and a formal policy are still to be developed, the ExCo has agreed to extend this provision to babies up to 18 months of age or assess case by case. Relevant accreditation will be facilitated for both the child and their caregiver.
The World Games 2029 Karlsruhe (GER)
A report about Karlsruhe’s site visit that took place in July 2024 was provided by CEO Joachim Gossow, for the 2029 landmark event.
One of the city's key advantages is the short distance between venues and official hotels, making moving around highly convenient for participants and visitors. Additionally, the city's commitment to a green lifestyle is evident, with cycling and public transportation prioritised in local government investments. Karlsruhe’s proposed sports venues and solutions are considered more than adequate, and the suggested hotels meet the necessary standards for accommodation.
Shankai Sports, Marketing and Sponsorship Activities
John Liljelund commented on the work IWGA Marketing agency Shankai accomplishes on the ground and the various discussions about potential new sponsors. He praised Shankai’s efforts with the LOC in Chengdu. The new sponsorship deal with Xtep was thoroughly discussed, and clear proposals were agreed upon regarding the optimal allocation of the benefits from 2024–2026. All proposals made by the IWGA head office were unanimously approved by the ExCo.
Global Esports Federation
Following the signing of a MoU, collaboration with the Global Esports Federation has begun and a proposal to feature three e-games at the Sports Plaza during The World Games 2025 was submitted.
Ongoing collaboration with the LOC aims to introduce e-sports for the first time in the history of The World Games. The agreement with GEF was underscored as a pivotal move, particularly given the significance of the Chinese market in the e-sports industry. These efforts toward integrating e-sports highlight the IWGA's commitment to innovation and its alignment with global trends.
Quantum- Strategy Review Survey
Jan Fransoo provided an update on the Strategy Review survey, emphasising that individual interviews will be conducted in the coming weeks to complete the process. He also presented the board with a SWOT analysis based on initial findings from the online survey. The strong participation from surveyed groups was highlighted, along with the diligent efforts of Quantum in managing the review and reporting the leadership. The survey is expected to be completed by the end of the year with the final report and recommendations to be published in December 2024.
Calendar 2024
Finally, to ensure the successful execution of the upcoming events, the IWGA ExCo confirmed several important meetings leading up to TWG 2025:
- Competition Manager Meeting, 23–24 October 2024 Chengdu (CHN)
- NOC & NSO Meeting, 25–26 October 2024, Chengdu (CHN)
- ExCo Meeting Chengdu (CHN), 27 October 2024
- ExCo Meeting, 24–25 January 2025, Lausanne (SUI)
- ExCo Meeting, 25–26 April 2025, Madrid (ESP), depending on SportAccord Conv.
*IWGA President José Perurena, Vice President Tom Dielen, Treasurer Lukas Hinder, and Members Anna Arzhanova, Volker Bernardi, Jan Fransoo, John Liljelund and CEO Joachim Gossow. Athletes Committee Chair Sandra Sanchez also attended the meeting.
The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 38 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).
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For more information, please contact the IWGA Media and Communication team: [email protected], Tel: +41 21 311 12 97, or visit our web site.
