LAUSANNE (AFP) ― The 2021 World Games will be hosted by Birmingham, Alabama, the International World Games Association confirmed on Thursday.
The town of just over 1 million inhabitants beat competition from Lima, Peru and Ufa, Russia to become the second U.S. city to host after Santa Clara, California organized the inaugural edition in 1981.
“It’s a great historical significant day for our city, our state and the United States,” said Jonathan F. Austin, president of Birmingham city council in Lausanne.
“Thank you for giving us this opportunity. We’ll organize the best games you’ve ever seen.”
The budget for the event which brings together 4,500 athletes in 37 sports and 60 disciplines will be $75 million, added Birmingham delegation member Scott Myers.
Officials say no new venues have to be built and the Birmingham region has what it takes to hold a successful World Games, a multidisciplinary sport event consisting of non-Olympic disciplines.
Some football games during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta were played in Birmingham’s 80,000-seater Legion Field Stadium.
“All the bids we received were of very high quality,” said World Games Association president Jose Perurena.
“We have to deliver nothing less than outstanding World Games. We are convinced that Birmingham will exceed these expectations.”
The 2013 edition in Cali, Colombia, will be followed by Wroclaw, Poland, in 2017 and will include demonstration sports ― kickboxing, American football and wushu.
