Pandemic-delayed World Games open in Birmingham a year late
Delayed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Games open Thursday in Alabama featuring more than 3,600 athletes participating in non-Olympic events including sumo wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts, and tug of war. The opening ceremony, set for Thursday night at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, includes performances by Nelly and the band Alabama. It will kick off 10 days of competition around the metro area in nearly 40 sports with participants from about 100 nations. Organizers said more than 350,000 tickets have been sold, and events will be available for viewing by livestream. CBS Sports will televise 12 hours of coverage. Some competitions already have been held. Hundreds of people turned out in Oxford, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Birmingham, for exhibition games between the USA Softball Women’s National Team, Team Australia, and Team Japan. Some streets in downtown Birmingham have been shut down for security, but the city also has added new features, including a park constructed beneath the rebuilt Interstate 20/59. Most athletes are being housed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham or Birmingham-Southern College. “Yesterday, the Egyptian karate team arrived at Birmingham-Southern. Today I was getting reports of the Canadian lacrosse team and others,” World Games chief executive Nick Sellers said Tuesday. Initially scheduled for 2021, the World Games were delayed a year because of the pandemic. Cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations are again on the rise, but state hospitals are far below capacities that stretched staff and intensive care units at the worst of the crisis. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Lionel Richie joins lineup for The Music of The World Games
The Music of The World Games has announced the addition of Lionel Richie as a featured performer at this year’s event. The Tuskegee native is set to headline the World Games 2022 Closing Ceremony on July 17th at Protective Stadium. The performance will be Richie’s first performance in Alabama in over two decades. “I’m honored to be joining all the talented artists performing at The World Games Closing Ceremony, and to be headlining the closing ceremonies is truly special. I am so excited to be coming home to perform in Alabama,” said Richie. Richie will headline the evening, joining other performers from the state of Alabama, including the legendary group Alabama, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Jamey Johnson, American Idol alums Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, and Bo Bice, and Martha Reeves. Funk legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bootsy Collins will still serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The World Games is held every four years, in the year following each Summer Olympic Games. Staged over 11 days, The Games represent the pinnacle of competition for 3,600 of the world’s best athletes in 30+ unique, multi-disciplinary sports. The World Games generates worldwide exposure for participating sports and provides a highly visible stage on which athletes from more than 100 countries compete for gold. More than 600 medals will be awarded to the competing athletes, including 200 gold medals for the ultimate champions in each discipline. The World Games is led by the International World Games Association (IWGA). This non-profit organization is composed of 37 International Sports Federations and is recognized by The International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The 2022 World Games will showcase Alabama
Allow me to deviate from politics to discuss an important event for our state. The World Games 2022 will place Birmingham and the entire state of Alabama squarely in the global spotlight. Believe it or not, this once-in-a-lifetime event is only a few months away with approximately 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries and up to 500,000 visitors expected to flood Birmingham for one of the world’s largest athletic competitions. Folks, there are many questions about the World Games 2022. Is it the biggest sports party in state history? Is it a way to reconnect humanity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? Is it a chance for sports fans to witness history? Is it a showcase for Birmingham that can elevate and enhance the city’s and state’s image? This is Birmingham’s gold medal moment. It is a moment to show the world that the story of Birmingham and the entire State of Alabama is the story of perseverance and triumph. It is a moment we will remember with pride for the rest of our lives. So, what is The World Games which is happening July 7-17 in Birmingham? The easy answer is it is “the new generation of global sport competition,” organized with the support of the International Olympic Committee. These are the fastest-growing sports in the world, and several of them compete on the Summer Olympic platform, also. So, we will have a lot of the Olympians that competed in Tokyo last summer competing again here. Elite athletes from all over the world will converge in Birmingham to participate in 34 sporting competitions at over 25 venues around the metro area. It is also so much more. The schedule includes mainstream sports that many Alabamians have heard of, like flag football presented by the NFL, softball, lacrosse, bowling, waterski jumping and wakeboarding, and sumo wrestling. Fans will also enjoy emerging sports like parkour, sport climbing, drone racing, and canopy piloting. There are multiple disciplines of dance sports, as well as many different types of martial arts, including Muay Thai and Jiu-jitsu. Don’t forget about sports that most Alabamians have never encountered, such as floorball, korfball, beach handball, and tug of war. The sports program also includes wheelchair rugby, making The World Games 2022 making the first multi-sport international competition to include an adaptive sport as part of the regular sports program. Alabama is filled with sports fans, and The World Games truly has something for anyone and everyone to enjoy. As more and more people in Alabama and beyond learn about The World Games, organizers face another question: What impact will The World Games have on Birmingham and the State of Alabama? Alabama will welcome the world to the biggest athletic event in the Southeastern United States since the Atlanta Olympics in 1986. Our renowned southern hospitality will be on full display. Visitors from around the world will be exposed to Birmingham’s vibrant food scene. They will see a city and state no longer defined by the brutal black-and-white images from the 1960s but a place that has grown and matured. The Opening Ceremonies promise to showcase Birmingham on the global stage. That is why local, state, and national leaders have come together to support the World Games 2022. The business community in Alabama, especially Birmingham, is fully engaged. Folks, remember, this is the first time the event has been held in the United States in more than 40 years, and Birmingham is the perfect place to bring the world back to America. Birmingham’s story is America’s story – built on hard work, perseverance, and teamwork. “I believe Birmingham and the entire State of Alabama is going to show up in a big way on the global stage,” says Nick Sellers, Chairman of the World Games 2022. The World Games 2022 gives Birmingham and Alabama a true chance to shine. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.
Birmingham’s Legion Field preparing to host World Games 2021 opening ceremonies
The World Games are expected to bring $256 million to Birmingham.
Doug Jones announces $3.6 Million grant for Birmingham bus system
The Birmingham public transit system is getting a much needed financial boost this year, a $3.6 million boost at that. The planned improvements to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) endeavor to provide easier access to areas of Birmingham for those who use it daily, and those who visit the city. U.S. Senator Doug Jones announced the grant on Thursday. “Safe, reliable public transportation is important for any city, but it’s especially critical for Birmingham as it prepares to host the 2021 World Games. Beyond that event, these grant funds will benefit the citizens of Birmingham who rely on public transit to go about their daily lives,” Jones said in a statement. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the money will be used by the BJCTA to replace the old buses that have outlived their usefulness. The Transit Authority says that the new vehicles will provide improved reliability and will reduce maintenance and other costs. One of the reasons the Transportation Department chose to improve the bus service in Birmingham was because of the city’s upcoming role as the host to the 2021 World Games, an Olympic-style event expected to bring thousands of people to the region. Alabama was one of 139 other beneficiaries, selected from over 50 states and territories to receive the grant funds. The funding will be distributed through the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. A program that helps communities replace and rehabilitate old buses, and purchase new buses.
$20M federal grant to upgrade public transit in Birmingham
A $20 million federal grant will help improve public transportation in Alabama’s largest city, Birmingham. The money will fund a 15-mile-long bus project that will connect 25 communities on the city’s eastern and western side to the city center. Officials announced the grant on Monday. Mayor William Bell says the grant is part of a long-term plan to improve Birmingham’s public transportation ahead of the World Games, an athletics competition the city will host in 2021. Congresswoman Terri Sewell helped secure the funding through the U.S. Transportation Department. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
