The International World Games Association (IWGA) Annual General Meeting had its primary focal point in Kaohsiung, TPE, and in the eighth edition of The World Games to be opened there in less than four months.

The IWGA executive board and the Kaohsiung Organising Committee (KOC) briefed the International Sports Federations on the most recent progress achieved in gearing up for the games taking place between 16 and 26 July.

The Main Stadium, the new and spectacular 45,000-capacity venue which features a solar-panelled roof capable to generate 110 KWh of electricity per year, is ready for inauguration.

The 2009 Kaohsiung accreditation system was only recently rolled out. The 31 IFs were thoroughly acquainted with their task of entering their contingents of athletes online by 15 May.

PowerPoint presentations on the accreditation system and the result services can be downloaded here:

Swiss Timing - Accreditation
PPT on online accreditation system by IWGA Secretary General Co Koren

Swiss Timing - Result Service
PPT on result services by IWGA Secretary General Co Koren

Visa requirements were waived by the National Immigration Agency, allowing the accredited participants to enter the island upon presentation of a valid passport and an Invitation Letter issued by the KOC.

With a view to the future past July 2009, IWGA had invited two prospective bidders for The World Games 2013 to make their first presentations to the General Meeting. After the cities of Duisburg and Düsseldorf were forced to withdraw as hosts in December 2008, two other candidates started to consider submitting a bid by the imminent June deadline.

The Gauteng Provincial Government, RSA, is set to prepare – pending further consultation and due diligence study – its bid book based on an event spread across the province, with Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni as the host cities. “The World Games 2013 could well be our next best thing after the FIFA World Cup 2010,” the Gauteng delegation announced.

Similarly, the Department Valle del Cauca, COL, presented a compact concept with the cities of Cali, Palmira, Yumbo and Jamundi providing modern venues and infrastructure which were built for the Colombian National Games 2008.

Last but not least, TSE Consulting presented an outlook on the research and the strategic planning it will do – on behalf of IWGA – prior to the launch of the bidding process for The World Games 2013.