World Games 2013 Preview

The World Games are an interesting competitor/compatriot to the Olympic Games. The World Games may be considered by some a competitor to the Olympics due to the fact that it is a multi-sport event. However, I considered it a "little brother" to the event because it features sports not on the Olympic agenda, it is recognized by the IOC, and have a Memorandum of Understating. 

This year's World Games, the ninth ever, will be held in Cali, Colombia. Over 35 sports will be contested. There are eight different categories the sports are placed under. They are Artistic Sports, Ball Sports, Martial Arts, Precision Sports, Strength Sports, Trend Sports, Invitational Sports, and Sports Garden. The most sports in one category is Trend Sports and the least amount of sports in a category is Sports Garden. 

The Opening Ceremony is called "Metamorphosis".  It looks to be an intriguing spectacle. It is expected to last 110 minutes and use more then 1,000 firework projectiles and 1,000,000 watts of light. The best part of Opening Ceremony's is when the athletes are introduced with their fellow countrymen. That is always a moment to behold. At this World Games, there will be over 2,300 athletes from over 98 countries. 

A Poster Showing the Participating Sports
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Afiche-Disciplinas
-Juegos-Mundiales-Cali-2013/6668933

This will be the last time, at least for a while that Rugby Seven's will be contested at the World Games. It is being removed after this World Games. It will put on the program for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Eight teams will be competing in Rugby Seven's tournament. They are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Uruguay. This looks to be a good competition. They have some top teams competing and the matches should be competitive. 

Beach Handball looks to be a competitive, up-tempo, and exciting event. Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Qatar, Russia, Ukraine, and Venezuela will all be competing in this event on the men's side. Austria, Brazil, Chinese Taipei Colombia, Hungary, Norway, Tunisia, and Uruguay are competing on the women's side. Brazil is my favorite to win the tournament on both the men and women's side. The Brazilian men won the previous tournament at the 2009 World Games and also won the last two Men's Beach Handball World Championships. Brazil's women won bronze at the 2009 World Games and won the 2012 Women's Beach Handball World Championships. This is a sport for which many people should be pumped-up.

Some of the other competitions I am looking forward to include; Tug of War, Canoe Polo, and Lifesaving. Tug of War is a classic power and strength competition, and surprisingly formally was an Olympics sport. Canoe Polo is a sport where two teams of five face off on canoes in an attempt to score goals on a net suspended at the end of the playing surface. Canoe Polo is much like two other Olympics sports; Water Polo and Canoe Sprint. Yes, Lifesaving is a sport at the World Games and this seems like a really cool event to have a game.