The World Games 2025, Chengdu: Unveiling The Visionary 'Growth Beyond Excellence' Strategy

The World Games 2025 is scheduled to take place in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. With sports/disciplines that include Cheerleading (Double Pom), Canoe (Dragon Boat), Roller Sports (Freestyle - Inline), Triathlon (Duathlon), American Football (Flag Football), Powerboating (MotoSurf), what are the other distinguishing features of its 12th edition?

Scheduled from August 7 to 17, 2025, the Chengdu edition of The World Games will be a showcase of 35+ sports and for the first time will be held under the principles outlined in the strategy paper "Growth Beyond Excellence'' with over 5000 participants. Hosted under the leadership of Mayor Luo Qiang and with the support of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Chengdu is the third Asian city, since the inception of The World Games, where the games will be organised.

Flag Football, cheerleading, dragon boat racing, duathlon, and freestyle inline skating are among the shortlisted proposals for TWG 2025 from the host city Chengdu. Another proposal by the IWGA ExCo Powerboating was presented to the IF members at the AGM.

“I consider that the 2025 program brings very well known sports to the Asian audience, while introducing other sports they do not know very well, including fireball, flag football, etc.

We also have The World Games Plaza for our audience where people from all cultures come together and relax without actually playing the games themselves. On the other hand, we also have a sports garden where fans can try the sports on the program with the help of volunteers of IFs”, says Joachim Gossow, CEO of The World Games in an interview with Dinis Guarda.

Number of participants at TWG 2025 Chengdu

Regarding the sports program and participant count, the guidelines are outlined in the strategy paper "Growth Beyond Excellence." For the sports program of TWG 2025 and beyond, the maximum number allowed (including athletes and technical officials) will rise from 4,200 to 5,000. 

As per the guidelines, the total number of participants for TWG 2025 includes 4,000 individuals proposed by IWGA Member Federations. The remaining 1,000 participants will be allocated as follows: 400 participants will be selected from various disciplines in consultation with the host city, while another 400 participants will be chosen in consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

Additionally, 200 competitors will represent paralympic sports not featured in the Paralympic Games schedule, determined in consultation with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). 

TWG 2025, the first edition to follow the visionary guidelines of the International World Games Association's 'Growth Beyond Excellence' strategy instructions, aims to be a celebration of athleticism, diversity, and harmony. With an expected 5,000 athletes competing in 35 different categories, Chengdu is prepared to host a remarkable athletic event.

TWG 2025: Sports highlights 

The martial art sport SAMBO returns to the big stage of The World Games 2025. As a federation member of the IWGA, SAMBO will make its competition debut at TWG 2025, Chengdu. 

From traditional disciplines like archery and karate to enthusiastic additions such as drone sports and cheerleading, the event caters to a wide range of interests. Athletes will compete in a variety of disciplines, including Air Sports, Archery, Billiards Sports, Boules, Canoe, DanceSport, Fistball, Floorball, Flying Disc, Beach Handball, Ju-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Korfball, Lacrosse, Life Saving, Muaythai, Orienteering, Racquetball, Softball, Sport Climbing, Squash, and Wushu showcasing their skills and pushing the boundaries of their respective sports.

TWS 2025 is also going to introduce powerboating and cheerleading on the global stage, as well as para freediving and para ju-jitsu, highlighting the event's commitment to inclusivity and innovation. While some classic events may not appear on the 2025 calendar.

With a diverse program ranging from battle sports to water activities, TWG 2025 includes an energising experience for both competitors and fans. Under these guiding principles, the world games 2025 aims to elevate the standards of multi-sport events, fostering an environment where athletes can showcase their talents on a global stage while promoting the values of unity and diversity.

The IWGA has selected two reliable partners to help with the event's execution: as with TWG 2022, the Madrid-based business ISB will be in charge of producing the TV signal and marketing the TV rights internationally. Swiss Timing will serve as the official timekeeper for the Games, as they have since 2009.

Chengdu: The host city for TWG 2025

Chengdu, a city of 20 million people in the south-west of China is the capital of Sichuan Province and is well known for its Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding. 

“According to the reports submitted to us, Chengdu is one of the most sustainable cities in China. Housing over 20 million citizens, it is of a size that requires two international airports”, says Joachim.

The city has previous experience of conducting multi-sport events, including the World Police and Fire Games in 2019 and the FISU World University Games in 2023.