One Year To Go

Today is a special day, it is the one year count down to the World Masters Games.

No other multi-sport event in the world attracts as many participants as the World Masters Games. Since 1985 the Games have brought together mature aged sports men and women from around the globe who share a commitment to the simple philosophy of "sport for life". 
 
"Masters" is simply an age designation; it does not denote a level of proficiency or a particular achievement.  To compete, all you need to do is to satisfy the age criteria for your sport. The World Masters Games are for you.
 
The World Masters Games have been held on six previous occasions:

Toronto 1985
Copenhagen 1989
Brisbane 1994
Portland 1998
Melbourne 2002
Edmonton 2005

The seventh Games will be held in Australia's global city, Sydney, from 10 - 18 October 2009.

The sports for the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games were endorsed by the Games Advisory Committee in April 2006 and subsequently approved by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA).

The sports are separated into two groups;
The Core Sports that must be conducted under our contract with IMGA are:

Archery                  Athletics                    Badminton
Basketball               Canoe/Kayak              Cycling
Football (Soccer)      Hockey (Field)            Orienteering
Rowing                   Shooting                    Softball
Squash                   Table Tennis               Weightlifting

SWMGOC recommended the following Optional Sports that have all been approved by the IMGA.

Baseball                 Diving                       Golf   
Lawn Bowls              Netball                      Rugby
Sailing                  Surf Lifesaving            Swimming 
Tennis                   Touch Football           Volleyball  
Water Polo  

Optional Sports and disciplines in the Core Sports have been chosen on the basis of:
Their tradition in the World Masters Games and other similar events,
Sports expected to attract a base number of participants,
The response by Sports Associations when invited to submit a case for their sport to be included,
Local interest in the sport, and Venue suitability and availability.
A discipline of a sport that did not meet the majority of these criteria may not be included in these Games.

Triathlon has been in previous World Masters Games but at this stage will not be included in the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games as the International Triathlon Union (ITU) is no longer a member of the International Masters Games Association (IMGA) and have resisted our invitation to be involved in the Games. However, we remain open to any future change of direction by ITU and suggest that you occasionally check the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games website for updates. 

Mountain Biking will not be included in the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games.

Registration ...
Ready to Register for the Sydney 2009 World Master Games? To start, you must first complete our personal details form. This will provide you with a User ID and Password to access myGames.

Please allow up to 5 minutes to complete this form and approximately 15 minutes to register for the Games. Click here to start your Games registration.