Four cities spanning three continents have officially entered the application process to host the world’s largest international participatory multi-sport event: The World Masters Games.

Paris, Perth, Singapore and Taipei City & New Taipei City have all stated their intent to host the Games in 2025, four years after they visit Asia for the first time in their history.

Preparations are currently underway in Kansai to welcome tens of thousands of Masters athletes to Japanese shores in May next year. The host region is expecting 50,000 athletes – a mix of domestic and international – to participate in the Games and enjoy local culture.

The International Masters Games Association (IMGA) continues to receive healthy applications for the World Masters Games, buoyed the strong return on investment host cities have experienced in the past. The 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland injected an impressive $63 million into New Zealand’s economy and the four major applicant cities are now hoping to benefit from the Games’ sizeable economic and social impact.

IMGA CEO, Jens Holm, expressed his appreciation for such a geographically diverse group of applications, “The applications we’ve received reflect what we’re trying to do with our events. We want to grow the Masters movement worldwide and provide opportunities for adults to connect and experience new cultures – all while playing the sports they love. Each of the applicant cities have an excellent framework in place and I am confident whichever is chosen will deliver outstanding Games for our community.”

The application process will be followed by an official evaluation visit during summer next year and the IMGA is scheduled to announce the winner by the end of 2020.

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