World Masters Games

The World Masters Games, sponsored by the International Masters Games Association, invites sportspeople aged 35 years and older to compete in events such as cycling, soccer and field hockey. As of February 2011, the next World Masters Games is set to occur in Turin, Italy, in August 2013. If you plan to watch or attend the event, you may want to learn more about the history and sports in the World Masters Games.

  1. Sponsor

    • The World Masters Games is sponsored by the International Masters Games Association, or IMGA. IMGA was founded in 1995 as the representative of mature sportspeople around the world. The association promotes friendly competition for people of any race, gender or religion. IMGA encourages athletes over 35 years old to stay healthy by practicing sports on a regular basis. To show its encouragement and promote the playing of sports, IMGA sponsors the Worlds Master Games to let individuals compete with one another in a festival-based environment.

    Rules and Details

    • The World Masters Games take place every four years, each time in a new location. The 2013 event is scheduled to be in Turin, while previous events were held in locations such as Toronto, Canada; Melbourne, Australia, and Arhus, Denmark. The first event hosted only 8,300 competitors, while the latest games, in Australia, hosted 30,000.

      Competitors aged over 35 years are welcome to join. The age limit is dropped to 25 for diving and swimming. Competitors need only to pay a registration fee to join the games; there are no other entry qualifications to meet. Professional teams are not permitted.

    Core Sports

    • The World Masters Games features competitions in many different core sports, and the event's Organizing Committee can include up to 15 other sports, if desired. Water sports such as canoeing and rowing are included, as are traditional games, including basketball, soccer, softball and field hockey. Other sports featured in the event are weightlifting, archery, cycling and shooting. Orienteering is included, which is a sport that requires participants to find their way across unfamiliar terrain with just a map and a compass. Also featured are table tennis, badminton, squash and athletics.

    Fees and Prizes

    • Besides paying the entry fee for the World Masters Games, athletes must also pay for their own lodging, travel and meals. There are no monetary awards for winning the games. However, the first three finishers in every event receive custom-made medals made of gold, silver or bronze. The main reason many competitors participate in the games is simply for the enjoyment of competition, as well as the camaraderie between friends and fellow athletes.