The World Games sports comprise all the sports contested in The World Games.[1] Starting in Birmingham 2022, there was no distinction between official and invitational sports. José Perurena, IWGA President, stated, "In Birmingham, for the first time, invitational sports were no longer presented separately but were also part of the official programme."[2] This is now The World Games policy.
^During the period in which rugby sevens was contested at the World Games, the world governing body was known as the International Rugby Board. The current name of World Rugby was adopted in 2014.
^A structured invitational sport program did not exist for the 1981 World Games. Press coverage did not refer to water polo as an invitational sport. An agreement was reached with FINA in the lead-up to the games not to allow women's water polo athletes to march in the opening ceremony, to assuage the displeasure of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its being included in the program.[4]
^From 2001 Boule Lyonnaise has been part of the Boules Sports program.
Baseball and Softball – were Olympic sports from 1992 (baseball)/1996 (softball) to 2008, and returned to the Olympics in 2020 and 2028 as optional sports
Lacrosse sixes – will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics (lacrosse was competed at the 1904 and 1908 Summer Olympics as field lacrosse)
Rugby sevens – became an Olympic sport at the 2016 Summer Olympics (rugby union was competed as 15-a-side at the 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics)
Triathlon – became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Water polo (women) - became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics (men never competed in water polo in The World Games, as it has been in all Summer Olympics since 1900)
Weightlifting (women) - became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics (men never competed in weightlifting in The World Games as it has been all Summer Olympics since 1920, and was also in the Summer Olympics in 1896 and 1904)
^ abc"THE WORLD GAMES CONTINUE TO GROW!". TheWorldGames.org. IWGA. 2019. Retrieved 2021-07-14. (In 1989) Aikido and Minigolf were presented as invitational sports, and Triathlon, Boomerang and Flying Disc were among the demonstration sports. This was the first time there were sports demonstrations at The World Games.