［November 2019］
Official Schedule of the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai is Available Now

As I have noted in the 132 edition of the CLAIR Sydney Newsletter released in February this year, the World Masters Games (WMG) 2021 Kansai will be held in Japan’s Kansai region in May 2021. The WMG is the special sporting event where anyone aged 30 or above can participate in and enjoy the sports while interacting with other participants and locals of the host country. The Japanese people are proud to be hosting this special event following the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and are looking forward to welcoming athletes and visitors from all over the world.

This month, detailed guides of the WMG 2021 Kansai have been published on the event’s official website. Please click on the following link to find detailed information on the WMG 2021 Kansai: (https://www.wmg2021.jp/en/games/guideline.html). You can find information on the competitions such as the official schedule, events, capacity and venues, as well as application information such as participation eligibility, how to apply, the application acceptance period, and participation fee. The Organizing Committee of the WMG 2021 Kansai has confirmed that 59 disciplines in 35 sports will take place at the Games. The application period begins from as early as 6 Jan 2020.

The Committee hopes that many amateur athletes from Australia and New Zealand will participate in the Games, as the WMG is a popular international sporting event in both countries, and four editions of the WMG have been held in the two countries in the past- in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland.

The strong emotions shared through sporting activities and the people interactions during the WMG 2021 Kansai may have a positive effect on the relationships with your Japanese partner city or potential partner city. I hope that your city will consider maximising the benefits which the WMG 2021 Kansai has to offer.