World Games CEO speaks at chamber luncheon

Drone Racing. Korfball. Canoe Polo. Fistball.

You may have never heard of any of these sports. But when the World Games comes to the Magic City next year — July 15-25, 2021 — you’ll have a chance to see these sports and more at venues located throughout the Birmingham-metro area.

The Feb. 11 Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon featured keynote speaker Nick Sellers, CEO of the 2021 World Games, who provided a look into the history of the event and what people can expect next year.

The World Games is a part of the Olympics, Sellers said. Some of the sports were previously in the Olympics or will be in the Olympics in the future. The athletes who will compete in this event will travel to Birmingham from all over the world.

“This is going to be a big deal,” he said. “It gets my blood pumping when I drive under the Red Mountain Expressway and I see that countdown clock.”

This event will put the community on an international stage for 10 days, he said, and will make an approximately $256 million impact on the economy. The forecasted attendance is over 500,000 people.

Birmingham competed for this opportunity against Russia and Peru. The last time the United States hosted the World Games was almost 40 years ago when Santa Clara, California hosted the inaugural World Games event in 1981.

“You only get so many opportunities to put yourself and your communities on an international stage,” Sellers said. “It’s a better than average chance that it’s not going to be back at least in my lifetime.”

The World Games Plaza will be located at Railroad Park. The events at Railroad Park — the bands, the Athlete’s Night event and other activities — will be open to the public for free, Sellers said. The opening and closing ceremonies will be at Legion Field, and guests will purchase tickets to attend these events. 

This will be the first time in the history of the World Games that there will be adaptive sports, Sellers said.

“It’s hard to fathom this — but it’s true — this is the first time in global history,” he said. “The Olympics has paralympics, and that’s separate. We will have adaptive sports as part of the World Games here.”

Many of the people who attended the luncheon probably haven’t heard of many of the World Games sports, he said.

“Korfball — y’all, that’s one of the biggest sports in the Netherlands,” Sellers said. “I’ve never heard of it either. It’s like a soccer ball with an 11-foot basketball goal.”

There will also be kickboxing, men’s and women’s sumo wrestling, parachuting, finswimming and more.

“There will be a little something for everybody,” he said. 

Event sites will be across the area, utilizing sites like the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, the Spare Time bowling alley in Trussville, Oak Mountain State Park, the BJCC, Barber Motorsports Park and Sloss Furnaces, he said.

The event will need approximately 2000 to 2500 volunteers, and Sellers said the volunteer recruitment effort will launch in April.

“We are a huge event town,” he said. “We know how to show up for something big and special, and I would say maybe nothing is bigger than this going forward. So we need you.”

Tickets will cost about $15-20 per event, he said. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale April 15, 2020, and tickets will go on sale for the general public across the globe on July 15, 2020, which is one year before the event’s start date.

“This really is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Sellers said. “If there’s ever a chance to really lean in and be a part of something special, this is it. And I just want to encourage everyone to get involved. We want you involved, and we need you involved to make this the World Games in history.”