World Games sports

Sports contested in the World Games

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.

## Sports

[edit]

Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color:

Included in the Olympic program

As invitational sport

Official sports

Sport (Discipline)  | Body | 1981 | 1985 | 1989 | 1993 | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2009 | 2013 | 2017 | 2022 | 2025
Air sports |  | FAI |  |  |  |  | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1
Archery |  | WA |  | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7
Beach handball |  | IHF |  |  |  |  |  | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2
Billiard sports | Billiards |  | WCBS |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2
Pool  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3
Snooker  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2
Boules sports |  | CMSB |  | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 6
Bowling |  | WB[s 1] | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Canoe  | Canoe marathon |  | ICF |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  | 4 | 4
Canoe polo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2
Dragon boat |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 4 |  |  |  | 6
Cheerleading |  | ICU |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Dancesport |  | WDSF |  |  |  |  | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12
Duathlon |  | ITU |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  | 2
Fistball |  | IFA |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2
Flag football |  | IFAF |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2[2] | 1
Floorball |  | IFF |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 2
Flying disc |  | WFDF |  |  | •[3] |  |  | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2
Gymnastics | Acrobatic gymnastics |  | FIG |  |  |  | 15 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5
Aerobic gymnastics |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4
Rhythmic gymnastics |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Trampoline and Tumbling |  | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6
Parkour |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 4
Ju-jitsu |  | JJIF |  |  |  |  | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 22 | 18 | 19
Karate |  | WKF | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12
Kickboxing |  | WAKO |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7 | 6 | 12
Korfball |  | IKF |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2
Lacrosse (women's) |  | FIL |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1
Lifesaving |  | ILS |  | 10 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16
Muaythai |  | IFMA |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11 | 12 | 6
Orienteering |  | IOF |  |  |  |  |  | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5
Powerboating |  | UIM |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3
Powerlifting |  | IPF | 9 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 16
Racquetball |  | IRF | 4 | 2 |  | 2 |  |  |  | 2 | 2 |  | 2 | 3
Roller sports  | Artistic roller skating |  | WSkate[s 2] | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Inline hockey |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1
Roller hockey |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |
Roller speed skating |  | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22
Sambo |  | FIAS |  | 17 |  | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11
Softball |  | WBSC[s 3] | 2 | 1 |  |  | 1996-2008 | 1 | 1 |  | 1 | 2
Sport climbing |  | IFSC |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6
Squash |  | WSF |  |  |  |  | 2 |  | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2
Sumo |  | IFS |  |  |  |  |  | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Tug of war |  | TWIF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3
Underwater sports  | Finswimming |  | CMAS | 12 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 16
Freediving |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9
Water skiing |  | IWWF | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6
Wheelchair rugby [s 4] |  | WWR |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1[2] |
Wushu |  | IWUF |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 13 | 16 |  | 10[2] | 12
Previous official sports
Sport (Discipline)  | Body | 1981 | 1985 | 1989 | 1993 | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2009 | 2013 | 2017 | 2022 | 2025
Badminton |  | BWF | 5 |  |  | since 1992
Baseball |  | WBSC[s 3] | 1 |  |  | 1992-2008 |  |  |  | 2020
Beach volleyball |  | FIVB |  |  |  | 2 | since 1996
Bodybuilding |  | IFBB | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 |  |  |  |
Casting |  | ICSF | 11 | 12 |  | 13 | 12 | 6 | 6 |  |  |  |  |
Indoor cycling |  | UCI |  |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Netball |  | INF |  | 1 | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Rugby sevens |  | WR[s 5] |  |  |  |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | since 2016
Taekwondo |  | WTF | 10 | 8 | 12 | 12 |  | since 2000
Triathlon |  | ITU |  |  | •[3] | 4 |  | since 2000
Weightlifting (women) |  | IWF |  |  |  |  | 9 | since 2000
Invitational sports
Sport (Discipline)  | Body | 1981 | 1985 | 1989 | 1993 | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2009 | 2013 | 2017 | 2022 | 2025
Water polo (women)[s 6] |  | FINA | 1 |  |  |  |  | since 2000
American football |  | IFAF |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |
Motocross |  | FIM |  | • |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Speedway |  |  | • |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |
Indoor motorcycle trials |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Aikido |  | IAF |  |  | • | • | • | • | • |  |  |  |  |
Bahn golf |  | WMSF |  |  | • |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Boomerang |  |  |  |  | •[3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Baton twirling |  |  |  |  |  | •[5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equestrian vaulting |  | FEI |  |  |  | • |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Boule Lyonnaise[s 7] |  | CMSB |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Military pentathlon |  | CISM |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Pesäpallo |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tug of war (women) |  | TWIF |  |  |  |  | 2 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |
Gateball |  | WGU |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |
Indoor hockey |  | FIH |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |
Tchoukball |  | FITB |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |
Indoor rowing |  | FISA |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7 |  |
Lacrosse (men's) |  | WL |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1[2] |
Medal Events | 104 | 125 | 112 | 155 | 165 | 140 | 169 | 164 | 199 | 201 | 223 | 253
Official sports | 15 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 30 | 35
Invitational sports | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | N/A

1. ^ The world governing body for nine-pin and ten-pin bowling changed its name from Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs to World Bowling in 2014.
2. ^ Previously Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports which merged with International Skateboarding Federation in September 2017 to form the current World Skate.
3. ^ a b The World Baseball Softball Confederation, which currently governs both baseball and softball, was created by a 2013 merger of two former governing bodies—the International Baseball Federation and the International Softball Federation.
4. ^ Paralympic Sport since 2000
5. ^ 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.
6. ^ 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]
7. ^ From 2001 Boule Lyonnaise has been part of the Boules Sports program.

## Past TWG sports and disciplines

[edit]

* Bodybuilding (Bodybuilding, Fitness) – Last contested in 2009 [6]
* Bowling (Nine-pin bowling) – Contested only in 2005 as official
* Cable wakeboard \- Contested only in 2005 as official
* Casting – Last contested in 2005
* Flying Disc (Disc golf) – Contested only in 2001 as official, to be contested in 2025
* Indoor cycling (Artistic cycling, Cycle ball) – Contested only in 1989 as official
* Lifesaving (Beach) – Last contested in 2009
* Netball – Last contested in 1993
* Roller hockey (quad skate) - Last contested in 2001

### Past TWG sports and disciplines added to the Olympic Games

[edit]

* Badminton – became an Olympic sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics
* 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
* Beach volleyball \- became an Olympic sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics
* Breakdancing \- became an Olympic sport at the 2024 Summer Olympics
* Flag football – will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics
* Karate – became an Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer Olympics
* 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)
* Sport climbing – became an Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer Olympics
* Squash – will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics
* Taekwondo – became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics
* Trampoline – certain individual events were introduced at the 2000 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)

## References

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1. ^ "World Games". sports123.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
2. ^ a b c d e "Interview of the Month | IWGA". The World Games. 22 Dec 2022. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
3. ^ a b c "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."
4. ^ Berkow, Ira (July 28, 1981). "Unheralded Sports Exert a Pull, Too". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
5. ^ "History | World Baton Twirling Federation". www.wbtf.org. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
6. ^ After various violations of Anti-Doping Rules at the 2009 World Games, IWGA decided to remove the sport from the program for the 2013 World Games in Cali. "IWGA - Body Building". theworldgames.org. Retrieved 3 July 2013.

## External links

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* The Sports of the World Games at International World Games Association web site

* v
* t
* e

World Games

* Santa Clara 1981
* London 1985
* Karlsruhe 1989
* The Hague 1993
* Lahti 1997
* Akita 2001
* Duisburg 2005
* Kaohsiung 2009
* Cali 2013
* Wrocław 2017
* Birmingham 2022
* Chengdu 2025
* Karlsruhe 2029

* International World Games Association
* World Games sports
* All-time World Games medal table

* v
* t
* e

Sports of the World Games program

Artistic and dance sports|

* Artistic roller skating
* Dancesport
* Gymnastics
* Acrobatic gymnastics
* Aerobic gymnastics
* Parkour
* Rhythmic gymnastics
* Trampolining
* Tumbling

Ball sports|

* Beach handball
* Canoe polo
* Fistball
* Floorball
* Inline hockey
* Korfball
* Lacrosse (women)
* Racquetball
* Softball
* Squash

Martial arts|

* Ju-jitsu
* Karate
* Kickboxing
* Muaythai
* Sumo

Precision sports|

* Archery
* Billiards sports
* Boules sports
* Bowling

Strength sports|

* Powerlifting
* Tug of war

Trend sports|

* Air sports
* Parachuting
* Canoe marathon
* Finswimming
* Flying disc
* Lifesaving
* Orienteering
* Speed roller skating
* Road
* Track
* Competition climbing
* Water skiing
* Wakeboarding

Past official sports|

* Badminton
* Baseball
* Beach volleyball
* Bodybuilding
* Casting
* Indoor cycling
* Netball
* Roller hockey
* Rugby sevens
* Sambo
* Taekwondo
* Triathlon
* Weightlifting (women)

Invitational sports|

* Duathlon
* Flag football
* Lacrosse (men)
* Wheelchair rugby
* Wushu

* Sports at the World Games
* International World Games Association

* v
* t
* e

Sports at the World Games

Official sports|

* Air sports
* Artistic roller skating
* Beach handball
* Bowling
* Boules
* Canoe polo
* Cue sports
* Dancesport
* Field archery
* Finswimming
* Fistball
* Flag football
* Flying disc
* Gymnastics
* Inline hockey
* Inline speed skating
* Ju-jitsu
* Karate
* Korfball
* Lacrosse
* Lifesaving
* Muaythai
* Orienteering
* Powerlifting
* Racquetball
* Sport climbing
* Squash
* Tug of war
* Water skiing

Past sports|

* Badminton
* Baseball
* Bodybuilding
* Casting
* Indoor cycling
* Netball
* Pelota
* Roller hockey
* Rugby sevens
* Sambo
* Softball
* Sumo
* Surfing
* Taekwondo
* Triathlon
* Weightlifting

Demonstration sports|

* Aikido
* American football
* Bahn golf
* Baton twirling
* Boomerang
* Dragon boat
* Duathlon
* Equestrian
* Floorball
* Gateball
* Indoor hockey
* Indoor trial
* Kickboxing
* Military pentathlon
* Pesapallo
* Road roller speed skating
* Tchoukball
* Water polo
* Wushu

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