“We have started many important projects”
José Perurena, President of the International World Games Association, looks back over 2023. In the IWGA Interview of the Month, he asserts that the IWGA is emerging from the year stronger than before, with 600 days to go to The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China.
How do you look back on 2023?
José Perurena: Let me put it this way: it was a year of sowing. We will reap the harvest in the future, especially at TWG 2025 in Chengdu. We have started many important projects and assignments this year. It is crucial that we now ‘nurture’ the seed and ‘fertilise’ it regularly in 2024.
What projects do you mean, specifically?
José Perurena: Where should I start? The list is quite long. Perhaps I should go through the projects chronologically. In January, we founded our Athletes’ Committee with Sandra Sanchez as Chair and our ExCo Member Jan Fransoo as her counterpart. In May, our members elected a new Executive Committee; for me, I am very pleased to be able to lead the IWGA through to 2026.
The Sports Programme for the 2025 Games has now been finalized, and we met with the National Olympic Committees and National Olympic Sports Organisations in the autumn. We want to intensify our collaboration in the future, and make them a more important part of The World Games family. In October, we started the hot phase of preparations for the Games with the first Competition Managers’ Meeting.
Okay, that does indeed sound like a very dense programme …
José Perurena: Another thing that should not be underestimated is that we have started strategic partnerships and want to continue them. Sword Venue supports us in planning the competition venues, and Shankai Sports becomes our partner for global sponsorship and marketing for our Games in China. Swiss Timing will once more be our timekeeper. ISB will take over the TV production for the Games in Chengdu and will market the world signal again. At the same time, we are working with ISB on a new streaming platform; we want to bring the Games closer to the fans. Quantum will be responsible for our TWG survey again: this will allow all involved parties, and others who are interested, to follow the independent analysis of the 2025 Games. And I don’t want to forget my friends from FICS; the chiropractors have been with us since 2005 and will offer their service in Chengdu again.
Is there any news about the host for the 2029 Games?
José Perurena: Yes, there is. The city of Karlsruhe in Germany has announced that it will apply for hosting The World Games in 2029. Karlsruhe is a well-known city in the history of the event; back in 1989, the third edition of The World Games took place there. We have learned during our conversations with our counterparts in Karlsruhe that a lot of people still have pleasant memories of the Games held there more than 30 years ago.
You were re-elected as President unopposed. Don’t you see this as a kind of reward for your work in the past?
José Perurena: Quite the opposite. In my application for re-election, I wrote: “Since the Games in 2017, the IWGA has been undergoing a transition period. I’m convinced that we will finish this process with the Games in Chengdu in 2025. I took the responsibility of initiating this transition period when first elected as IWGA President, and consequently I want to finalise this process while still IWGA President.” So there is still a lot to do. What motivates me is that I know I will achieve these goals, with the very strong and capable team that we have.
How do you see the position of The World Games at the end of 2023?
José Perurena: I think we are emerging stronger from the year after the Games in Birmingham 2022, and with just 600 days until the Games in Chengdu. This has to do with our good work and our member federations. But not only that. The IOC and Los Angeles have announced the programme for the 2028 Olympic Games. Four sports that featured in the Birmingham 2022 edition of The World Games will be performing at the Los Angeles Games: Baseball/Softball, Lacrosse, Squash and Flag Football. There is no clear red line between Olympic and non-Olympic sports any more. In Tokyo 2021, four sports from the World Games family made their debut. In Paris 2024, DanceSport will be represented for the first time with Breaking. The World Games have become ‘the’ springboard to the Olympic Games. The reason for this is that we are presenting many new and trendy sports. And not only for this reason, we are now being noticed more and more by the National Olympic Committees and the National Sports Organisations.
That sounds a bit more like harvesting than sowing!
José Perurena: Yes and no. We have worked hard to achieve this position. Our member federations have benefited from this, because participation in The World Games has opened doors for them. We are the showcase for their sports and subsequently for the Olympics too. What is perhaps even more important to me is that our athletes are the winners in this development. They are receiving more and more of the attention they deserve. The recognition and support from the NOCs/NSOs plays a decisive role in this. We owe this positive development to the high quality of the competitions at The World Games. Our event represents the whole diversity of sport, and is thus this kind of showcase. This is both a challenge and a commitment for the Games in Chengdu. Expectations are high.
How high are those expectations?
José Perurena: We all saw during the FISU World University Games this summer how Chengdu can organise a perfect event. Can The World Games be even better? If you talk to the people in Chengdu, then yes. During my visit to the FISU Games, I heard this said again and again.
I think our expectations are rightly high. The Chinese NOC has pledged its support. The Samaranch Foundation is also one of our driving partners. My discussions with the leadership of Sichuan Province and high-ranking officials in Chengdu also confirm my opinion that The World Games 2025 will exceed all expectations.
Another important matter for us is gender equality when it comes to The World Games sports programme. Here, too, we have reached a great result fort he Games in Chengdu. And after we had para sport as part of the competition programme for the first time in 2022, we have been able to expand this area significantly for the Games in Chengdu. What is important for us is that the para competitions are not a separate event. They are included in The World Games edition like any other sport or discipline. This highlights one of our core values: Inclusiveness.
What do you expect in the coming year?
José Perurena: It will hardly be any less challenging. We will make decisive progress on the important tasks that we started this year. We want to sign the Organiser Agreement with the host for TWG 2029 at our AGM. We will anchor the Athletes’ Committee in our constitution.
It is particularly important to me that we establish The World Games Series, as a milestone on the Road to Chengdu. Our federations will continue the qualification process for the upcoming Games, so that by the end of the year, around 90 per cent of participants will have booked their ticket for Chengdu.
The second Competition Managers’ Meeting and a meeting with the NOCs and NSOs in Chengdu are also planned. There are already many dates in my diary.
What else is important to you, looking back through 2023?
José Perurena: It is a good custom to say thank you at the end of the year. My thanks go to my entire Executive Board team: it is fun to discuss and then tackle all tasks constructively and purposefully. A big thank you goes also to our staff team, led by our CEO Joachim Gossow. Our employees are all passionate about their work and are fully committed to The World Games. This does not make life easy for us as a Board and for me as President, but it makes our work much easier. Then I would like to express my appreciation to our member federations. They too are facing challenges in preparing for the Games in Chengdu. They are tackling them with great energy. Everyone knows that we can’t allow ourselves a break, because of the shortened preparation time. At the same time, everyone is convinced that we will manage it.
I am also grateful for the commitment of our existing and new partners. What I realize is that this is more than just business, this is full commitment to an event that they feel a real part of. And finally, I would like to thank our partners in China. Following tradition and observing the cultural rules, I will formulate this in great detail on 10th February 2024. That’s when the new year begins in China. Together, we will make it a very successful Year of the Dragon.
Your wish for 2024?
José Perurena: My strongest wish for the new year is a little less orientated towards sport. I would like to see peace in Ukraine, in Israel and the Gaza Area, and around the world. I am convinced that sport can contribute to peace, but it can only ever be one contribution. The decisive steps towards ending these wars must be taken by those responsible. I very much hope they will.
