8th World Games 2009 at Kaohsiung

The World Games of 2009 took place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from July 16, 2009 to July 26, 2009. The games featured sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games. Nearly 6,000 athletes, officials, coaches, referees and others from 103 countries participated in the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games, setting a record high for the multi-sport competition. The International World Games Association (IWGA) President Ron Froehlich praised the July 16–26 games as the "best games ever." Competitions at the highest level in a multitude of diverse, popular and spectacular sports make up the mainstay of The World Games.Sports practiced on land, in the air, in and on the water, they all concur in the pursuit of 'Faster, Higher, Stronger'.
At quadrennial intervals, in the years following the Games of the Olympiad, the world’s best athletes in these sports unite in their common search for excellence during The World Games. As the pinnacle in the competition calendar and as a highly visible stage for top athletes to perform on, The World Games generate worldwide exposure for the participating sports and athletes alike. Above all, The World Games provide the unique setting for thousands of athletes from different sports and countries to join in a celebration of unity and friendship across all boundaries. The World Games are the MAIN EVENT for all these athletes – one marked by sporting exploits as well as by camaraderie.