MONDAY AUGUST 20 FOURTH DAY WORLD GAMES 2001

Three finals and one new event are scheduled for Monday August 20, the fourth competition day in the World Games. Medals are up for grabs in Roller Hockey, Fistball and Ju-Jitsu.

Roller Hockey has six participating teams - Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Macao and Portugal - while  

Austria, Brazil, Germany, Japan and Switzerland line up for Fistball where Argentina was a late withdrawal for financial reasons.

Ju-Jitsu has attracted an entry of 72 men and women from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay.

Powerlifting will start its competition with 34 men and 37 women in three weight categories, drawing from Canada, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nauru, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, USA and Uzbekistan

While these events are all to take place in Akita City, in the southern town of Rokugo, Korfball enters its third day of competition with teams from Australia, Chinese Taipei, Belgium, Great Britain, Netherlands and Portugal.

The World Games is a quadrennial multi-sports event for those sports or disciplines not yet included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games.

The World Games has been established by the International World Games Association (IWGA) by its then President Dr Un Yong Kim in the early 80s when at that time the Olympic Games were not yet regarded as highly as it is at present.

Earlier editions of the World Games were organised in 1981 in Santa Clara (USA); in 1984 in London (GBR); in 1989 Karlsruhe (GER); in 1993 in The Hague (NED) and in 1997 in Lahti (FIN).

The seventh World Games will be organised in the German City of Duisburg, 14-24 July 2005.

At present the IWGA has 31 Member Federations. Twenty-four of them are involved in the World Games 2001 in Akita. For the first time in the rather short history of the World Games the Akita program includes, among other newcomers, three disciplines of Billiards: Carom, Pool for Men and Women and Snooker, and Seven-a-side Rugby Union. To name only a few sports of the many included in the program: Bowling, DanceSport, Gymnastics, Karate, Parachuting, Roller Sports and Water Ski.

The total number of athletes and officials the Akita Organising Committee (AOC) is arranging free board and lodging for will be approximately 2.500. To date the total number of nations to be represented in the various sports event is over 80, divided over five continents.

06/08/01

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For further information about the IWGA and the World Games, please contact the IWGA Press Officer

Mrs Trukie Albarda. She can be reached by e-mail iwga@hetnet.nl, by telephone number + 31 70 3512774 and by fax number +31 70 3509911.

The IWGA web site, although still under construction, can be reached at www.worldgames-iwga.org.

The web site of the Akita Organising Committee can be reached at www.wg2001.or.jp