The World Games sports comprise all the sports contested in The World Games. Starting in Birmingham 2022, there was no distinction between official and invitational sports. José Perurena, IWGA President, stated, "In Birmingham, for the first time, invitational sports were no longer presented separately but were also part of the official programme." This is now The World Games policy.
Sports Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color:
Official sports Sport (Discipline) Body 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2022 2025 2029 Air badminton BWF X Air sports FAI 5 4 5 5 3 3 2 1 X Archery WA 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 X Baseball5 WBSC X Beach handball IHF 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 X Billiard sports Billiards WCBS 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 X Pool 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 X Snooker 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 X Boules sports WPBF 1 2 2 2 4 6 8 8 12 4 6 X Bowling IBF 3 5 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 4 4 Canoe Canoe marathon PW 6 4 4 X Canoe polo 2 2 2 2 2 2 X Dragon boat 4 4 6 Cheerleading ICU 1 X Dancesport WDSF 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 4 X Duathlon TRI 2 3 X Fistball IFA 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 X Flag football IFAF 2 1 X Floorball IFF 1 1 1 2 X Flying disc Disc golf WFDF 2 1 X Ultimate • 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 X Gymnastics Acrobatic gymnastics WG 15 15 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 X Aerobic gymnastics 4 4 5 5 7 5 4 4 X Rhythmic gymnastics 4 4 4 3 4 4 X Trampoline and Tumbling 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 6 X Parkour 4 4 X Hockey5s FIH X Indoor cycling UCI 5 X Ju-jitsu JJIF 10 9 10 10 13 22 18 19 X Karate WKF 9 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 12 12 12 12 X Kickboxing WAKO 7 6 12 X Korfball IKF 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 X Lacrosse WL 1 2 1 X Lifesaving ILS 10 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 X Miniature golf WMF • X Muaythai IFMA 11 12 6 X Orienteering IOF 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 X Powerboating UIM 3 Powerlifting IPF 9 3 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 16 X Racquetball IRF 4 2 2 2 2 2 3 Roller sports Artistic roller skating WSkate 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 Roller hockey 1 1 1 1 1 Inline hockey 1 1 1 1 1 1 Roller speed skating 8 12 10 10 ? Inline speed skating 10 10 12 10 18 18 18 18 ? Inline freestyle 4 Sambo FIAS 17 9 11 Softball WBSC 2 1 1996-2008 1 1 1 2 Sport climbing WC 4 4 4 6 6 6 X Squash WS 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 X Sumo IFS 8 8 8 8 8 8 X Tug of war TWIF 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 X Underwater sports Finswimming CMAS 12 17 14 14 16 10 10 10 10 14 16 16 X Freediving 9 X Water skiing, Wakeboard IWWF 8 6 6 6 12 6 8 6 8 8 8 6 XWheelchair rugby WWR 1 Wushu IWUF 13 16 10 12 X Previous official sports Sport (Discipline) Body 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2022 2025 2029 Badminton BWF 5 since 1992 Baseball WBSC 1 1992-2008 2020 2028 Beach volleyball FIVB 2 since 1996 Bodybuilding IFBB 6 6 6 7 9 7 7 7 Casting ICSF 11 12 13 12 6 6 Netball WN 1 1 1 Rugby sevens WR 1 1 1 1 since 2016 Taekwondo WT 10 8 12 12 since 2000 Triathlon TRI • 4 since 2000 Weightlifting (women) IWF 9 since 2000 Invitational sports Sport (Discipline) Body 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2022 2025 2029 Water polo (women) AQUA1 since 2000 American football IFAF 1 1 Motocross FIM • Speedway • 1 Indoor motorcycle trials 1 Aikido IAF • • • • • Boomerang • Baton twirling • Equestrian vaulting FEI • Boule Lyonnaise WPBF 2 Military pentathlon IMSC 2 Pesäpallo 1 Tug of war (women) TWIF 2 1 Gateball WGU 1 Indoor hockey FIH 2 Tchoukball FITB 2 Indoor rowing WR 7 Medal Events 104 125 112 155 165 140 169 164 199 201 223 256 TBA Official sports 15 20 19 21 23 27 31 31 32 27 30 35 36Invitational sports 1 4 5 3 6 5 6 5 4 4 5 N/A N/A
Past TWG sports and disciplines Bodybuilding (bodybuilding, fitness) – Last contested in 2009 After various violations of Anti-Doping Rules at the 2009 World Games, IWGA decided to remove the sport from the program for the 2013 World Games in Cali. Bowling (Nine-pin bowling) – Contested only in 2005 as official Casting – Last contested in 2005 Lifesaving (Beach) – Last contested in 2009 Netball – Last contested in 1993 Roller hockey (quad skate) - Last contested in 2001
Past TWG sports and disciplines added to the Olympic Games Badminton – became an Olympic sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics Baseball and Softball – were Olympic sports from 1992 (baseball)/1996 (softball) to 2008, and returned to the Olympics in 2020 and 2028 as optional sports Beach volleyball - became an Olympic sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics Breakdancing - became an Olympic sport at the 2024 Summer Olympics Flag football – will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics Karate – became an Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer Olympics Lacrosse sixes – will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics (lacrosse was competed at the 1904 and 1908 Summer Olympics as field lacrosse) Rugby sevens – became an Olympic sport at the 2016 Summer Olympics (rugby union was competed as 15-a-side at the 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics) Sport climbing – became an Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer Olympics Squash – will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics Taekwondo – became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics Trampoline – certain individual events were introduced at the 2000 Summer Olympics Triathlon – became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics Water polo (women) - became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics (men never competed in water polo in The World Games, as it has been in all Summer Olympics since 1900) Weightlifting (women) - became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics (men never competed in weightlifting in The World Games, as it has been all Summer Olympics since 1920 and was also in the Summer Olympics in 1896 and 1904)
References
External links The Sports of the World Games at International World Games Association web site