[Source: Bay Area 2026 Host Committee] Over the weekend, the Bay Area 2026 Host Committee successfully completed its scheduled visit from the FIFA host city inspection delegation as part of the continued efforts to bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to the Bay Area. Making its first and only in-person visit to the Bay Area ahead of the official host city selection announcement expected in early 2022, the delegation consisted of nearly 30 international football executives from FIFA, Concacaf, U.S. Soccer, and the Canadian Soccer Association. FIFA’s delegation was led by Concacaf President and FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani and FIFA Chief Tournaments & Events Officer Colin Smith.

Led by Bay Area 2026 Board President and San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido, Bay Area 2026 Executive Director Patricia Ernstrom, an esteemed group of California and Bay Area leaders made a direct pitch to FIFA about the benefits of including the Bay Area among the expected 16 host cities to be announced from across Canada, Mexico, and the United States for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The leadership group who personally participated in the presentation to FIFA on Friday included California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, two-time FIFA World Cup champion Brandi Chastain, and ownership representatives from multiple Bay Area professional sports teams. The presentation also included video messages from California Governor and former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Bay Area 2026 Honorary Chair Condoleezza Rice, as well as a hype video featuring a voiceover by Chastain.

“The Bay Area 2026 committee was honored to host these two gentlemen and their delegation and have the opportunity to make our case to bring the world's largest tournament to the San Francisco Bay Area and Levi's Stadium. I'm unbelievably proud of the support we have received from throughout the state of California,” said Al Guido. “Having the three mayors of our large cities – San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland – participate in our presentation demonstrated the strong support we have received throughout the nine counties of the Bay Area. Led by our honorary chair, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, we have tremendous leadership in this community, both in the public sector and in the private sector.”

As announced last week, the Bay Area 2026 Host Committee and San Francisco 49ers were joined by Bay Area businesses like Airbnb, Coinbase, Cruise, Google, Levi’s, Lyft, Peet’s Coffee, Salesforce, SAP, and VISA to showcase the wide-ranging support from innovative and forward-thinking leaders across the region.

“The Bay Area 2026 Host Committee stands on the shoulders of 10 Bay Area companies alongside the 49ers to join our starting 11,” said Patricia Ernstrom, Bay Area 2026 Executive Director. “They are our starting 11 because our effort to build the necessary private support for this event is just getting started. Staging an event like this requires tremendous private support and there are 38 Fortune 500 companies in the Bay Area, representing nearly 2 million employees and $11 trillion in market cap. We truly believe we are ready to be selected as one of the hosts for FIFA World Cup 2026.”

On Saturday, a tour of Levi’s Stadium – the premier outdoor sports and entertainment venue on the West Coast and award-winning home of the 49ers – highlighted the final day of the FIFA inspection visit. In alignment with FIFA’s priorities, the tour focused on the facilities specific to player performance such as the locker rooms, pitch, and related infrastructure. Already providing a high-quality natural grass playing surface, Levi’s Stadium management has confirmed their intent to work with FIFA on implementing their new pitch profile in advance of potential matches in 2026. Beyond the stadium, other stops included key locations where FIFA events – such as team training sites, team base camp locations, FIFA Fan Fests – could be held from Oakland to San Francisco to San Jose to Santa Clara.

“It is an important thing that our incentives are aligned with FIFA as it pertains to the pitch and player health and safety,” said Al Guido. “We've hosted international soccer matches, which do not let you play on a turf surface. We all know grass surfaces are healthier than turf surfaces and that’s the reason why we make the investment to have one of the best, not just in the Bay Area, but within the NFL.”

Earlier this year, Levi’s Stadium participated in a FIFA Infrastructure Workshop which examined the venue’s feasibility of hosting FIFA World Cup matches. The stadium passed with flying colors due to a history of hosting other large-scale events including Super Bowl 50, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 2016 Copa América Centenario, 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup, and multiple International Champions Cups. Plus, thanks to being in the heart of Silicon Valley’s innovation landscape, the stadium boasts ground-breaking technology that pushes the fan experience to a new level. Now completely cashless, the stadium also offers the world’s first-ever fully integrated 8K video replay system and world-class Wi-Fi infrastructure.

The Bay Area 2026 Host Committee also made a point of showcasing the rich Bay Area history of hosting major soccer events dating back to FIFA World Cup 1994 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 1999. The region’s diverse communities, residents, and culture were also celebrated as factors in support of its suitability to host the event, along with its consistently temperate climate that is especially beneficial to sport in June and July – the months in which FIFA World Cup would take place.

For additional information about the Bay Area bid, please visit bayarea2026.com.

[Source: Global Esports Federation] 

The Global Esports Tour heads to Riyadh, hot on the heels of the first event held in Los Angeles last month. Convened by the Global Esports Federation and hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation, as live audiences return to events across the world. The GET Riyadh goes live from Sunday 24 – Tuesday, 26 October 2021 and will be battled out on PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular esports titles with over 1 billion total downloads worldwide.

The GET Riyadh will see 16 of the finest PUBG MOBILE pro-teams compete for a prize pool of US$150,000. High profile teams competing in Riyadh include Russia-based Virtus.pro, Saudi’s Rico Infinity Esports, Nepal’s DRS Gaming (Da Real Soldiers) and T2K, Morocco’s Cryptics, and Jordan’s FATE Esports, in a truly global line-up.

“The Global Esports Tour underscores the true energy of our #worldconnected motto. From LA – one of the global centers for entertainment, we head to the Middle East – one of the fastest-growing esports regions on the planet, Saudi Arabia. We are proud to join our host and GEF Board Member HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, and we look forward to connecting with players and fans in Riyadh,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF.

“Riyadh is pleased to host the Global Esports Tour, which will be a prominent part of our annual calendar of esports events. The Global Esports Federation has been a valuable partner to us, and we are delighted to bring this event to our nation's capital, Riyadh. Esports continues to flourish around the world, and we are excited about the opportunity to host and organize tournaments that connect, excite, and engage the community," said HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, President of the Saudi Esports Federation.

Joining the pro-team line-up and providing their expert commentary and analysis at the GET Riyadh will be British esports commentator and analyst, Jake “Highland Wolf” Hannett; as well as esports caster, analyst and coach, Joshua “Professor Tarzan” Chan. They will be joined by Arabic casters and gaming video creators Abdulaziz “Henky” Almuhanna and Tariq “K0de” Khtatneh.

The broadcast kicks off at 4.00pm (Riyadh) daily, from Sunday, October 24, 2021, till Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Broadcast channels:

● Global Esports Federation Twitch Channel

● Global Esports Federation YouTube Channel

"When one choir sings that's great, when two choirs sing together that's better, but when you get as in these INTERKULTUR events with many choirs, then there is an energy which flows from it, which is not like anything else, except maybe a great sports event" — John Rutter, composer (Great Britain).

Choir competitions bring out a feeling that you can’t really get anywhere else, except maybe at a big sporting event like the Olympic Games. And that’s why the World Choir Games started in the first place to give singing its own huge event — bringing the excitement and unity that we feel at major sport events into the world of singing.

Since 1988 the German-based company INTERKULTUR has been organising international choir competitions and festivals; since 2000 they have been organising the world’s largest international choir competition in the world: the World Choir Games, also known as the Olympics of Choral Music. But at each of the individual INTERKULTUR events – be it a smaller-sized regional event or at a huge choir competition with more than 20.000 participants – both participants and organisers can witness the same thing: choir competitions create a special atmosphere.

And that is why in 2022, INTERKULTUR is doing something big again. Sing for Gold — The World Choral Cup will take place in Calella/Barcelona. It’s an exciting addition to the World Choir Games, and another opportunity to see a global community of choirs compete in this new competition with a clear reference to the world of sports: This new event will feature choirs from all around the world, all vying for the first ever World Cup of Choirs!

And, when you start to think about the world of sports and competitive singing, you find a lot of similarities. Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that they deliver such a similar feeling.

The Sport of Song

Anyone who has sung in a choir knows that it is truly a unique experience. When your voice joins with others, following music that you have practiced together for a long time, magic happens. You start to lose yourself in the activity, and for a while, the group works as one.

That feeling of community is special. It’s a big part of why choral music will always be an important part of the art and culture of humanity.

And anyone who has played team sports will know that this same feeling can appear on the field (or the court, or wherever else the game is played). Playing together with a shared goal brings teams in unison. There are moments in a game when the team is completely absorbed in the act of seeking victory, working as one. Again, it’s magic.

Part of the unity in both choral singing and team sports comes from the physicality of both. Singing at a high level is a full body workout, and in a choir, you have to match your performance to others. It really is physically demanding like any sport, pushing singers to treat their bodies well.

And there is an even bigger kind of unity that begins to form in both competitive choral singing and sports. Because there are people in the stands who become attached to the action.

You can really feel it at the World Choir Games. Spectators come to see their country’s choir succeed. It isn’t that they want anyone to lose, it’s that they feel a certain pride in their own country’s singers. And who can deny that the same is true of the world of sports?

Go Team, Go!

Feeling all of this connection to others is the essence of what it means to be human. We connect with an important part of ourselves that is often absent from much of our day-to-day life.

And when you add competition into the mix, the excitement that can erupt is pure joy.

In the World Choir Games, as with any sport, the competition drives the action. It gives people a goal and forces them to be better than they’ve ever been before. And it creates a framework to understand exactly what you need to do to succeed.

For spectators, a competition gives us a direct way to understand when something good happens for our team, and when something bad happens. And it lets us all cheer as one.

It’s like a dramatic machine — instantly producing emotional highs and lows that we all feel together. 

The Electricity in the Air

These features make it clear that competitive singing and sports have a lot in common. And events like the upcoming SING FOR GOLD — The World Choral Cup 2022 in Calella/Barcelona or the World Choir Games and its worldwide Choir Olympic Movement promise to deliver the same thrills as the next big sporting event.

Go and visit www.worldofchoirs.com to find out how you can host a huge choir event in you host city bringing it the same energy and emotional feelings as any big sports event!

[Source: European Athletics] European Athletics, Glasgow Life, and EventScotland are pleased to announce that Dynamic New Athletics Indoor (DNA), a new mixed-gender, fast-paced, short and compact team athletics event, will be coming to the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday 5 February 2022.
This event will be a showcase for a new format of men and women competing together in athletics with Home Nations - England, Scotland and Wales - taking part along with Ireland, Spain and Turkey.
The six teams will be competing across 10 disciplines vying to be crowned the Dynamic New Athletics Indoor Champions 2022.
This will be the first-ever international indoor version of the previously launched outdoor Dynamic New Athletics event. More information under can be found at www.dna.run
Billy Garrett, Glasgow Life’s Director of Sport and Events, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the first stand-alone edition of Dynamic New Athletics at the Emirates Arena in February next year.
“Glasgow and its people are fiercely proud of our global reputation for hosting inspiring and innovative events, and this has been built-up over years of experience hosting new and exciting events such as the Dynamic New Athletics. 
“As with other major events hosted in the city, we’re also looking forward to supporting a programme for young people which will run alongside DNA, giving the next generation the chance to get involved and try out new athletics activities.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said: “Scotland is a world-leader in delivering innovative new events and we are delighted to be working with European Athletics to develop Dynamic New Athletics for the next generation of young athletes.
“Glasgow and Scotland have a proud history in hosting athletics events, including the highly successful European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019, and we cannot wait to welcome athletics back to the Emirates Arena in 2022 where the Home Nations will kick off a year of sporting rivalry ahead of Birmingham Commonwealth Games.”
Cherry Alexander OBE, Vice President of European Athletics said: “I am absolutely delighted to be working again with Glasgow Life and EventScotland delivering European Athletics’ Dynamic New Athletics next February at the Emirates Arena.
“Scotland has proved itself time and time again to be an amazing friend to athletics and we're excited to bring this innovative competition here to engage with younger audiences and inspire them to be active.
“Our aim is to create an environment for athletes to showcase their energy and talent and provide a valuable opportunity for athletes in the UK to earn world ranking points. The Emirates is the place to be on 5 February.
What is Dynamic New Athletics Indoor?
6 Teams: Mixed men & women, up to 16 athletes in each team, focus on team tactics and strategy.
2 Hours: Fast-paced sequence of events, only one event at a time.
10 events: Focus on run, jump & throw, traditional & new formats presented in a new way.
Easy scoring: Everything counts, 2 to 12 points for each event - 12 points for 1st place to 2 points for 6th place.
Winner:  The last event (the Hunt) will decide the winning team.

[Source: EventScotland] Dumfries & Galloway will further etch its place in cycling history by welcoming the world’s best Para-cyclists after it was named as the host region for the historic Para-cycling Road at 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

The region, which lays claim to introducing the first pedal-driven bicycle to the world in 1839, will see athletes competing on single bikes, tandems, tricycles and hand-cycles for the World Championship titles across the varied Para-cycling disciplines and the right to wear the coveted rainbow jersey – an honour bestowed to every UCI World Champion.

Building on Dumfries & Galloway’s long association with hosting world-class cycling events, including the Tour of Britain on 10 separate occasions, the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds will cement the region’s reputation as a renowned cycling tourism destination on a global stage supporting innovation, equality, diversity and inclusion.

The Championships will also take advantage of Dumfries & Galloway’s stunning cycling terrain with the course routes for the multitude of races across the variety of classifications being designed in conjunction with local partners to showcase the region and present a fitting challenge to the competitors.

Para-cycling Road will create history as part of the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships which will see 13 UCI World Championships brought together for the first time as one mega-event.

With more than 2,600 athletes competing from around 120 countries, an expected one million spectators and more than one billion viewers worldwide, the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds will be the biggest cycling event ever and one of the top 10 sporting events on the planet.

The Championships will take place in August 2023 in Glasgow and across Scotland and last month Glasgow was announced as the venue for eight of the 13 UCI Cycling World Championships. Now, Dumfries & Galloway becomes the first venue outside of Glasgow to be unveiled as a host, for an event that promises to bring the power of the bike to the whole of Scotland.

To mark the launch, Scottish Paralympic cycling medallists Fin Graham and Jenny Holl and world-record hand-cyclist Ken Talbot joined representatives from the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds, Dumfries & Galloway Council and South of Scotland Enterprise in the heart of Dumfries.

Graham, 21, who won two silver medals in Tokyo during  his first appearance in the Paralympics earlier this month, said: “Ever since I heard about the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships coming to Glasgow and Scotland I’ve been excited about it and it is great that Dumfries & Galloway will host the Para-cycling Road events. The landscape and scenery in the region is stunning and will be a great host to the Championships. To have the Para-cycling Road World Championships involved alongside the other Championships is huge for our sport and it is a huge ambition of mine to take part in front of a home crowd as well.”

Holl, 21, joined the British Para Cycling Team earlier this year following a successful junior track cycling career and secured a Paralympic silver medal alongside tandem partner Sophie Unwin in Tokyo, added: “I’ve raced in Dumfries & Galloway before and I know it will be a great host of the Para-cycling Road events as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds. It will be such a special occasion for the whole cycling family to come together and compete in one Championships and I’m especially proud that it will happen for the first time in my home country.”

American born Talbot, who now lives in Edinburgh holds the current speed world record for a hand cyclist at 51.86mph, said: “I’m incredibly excited that the Para-cycling Road World Championships are being held in Dumfries & Galloway as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds. It will be such a special experience to see hand-cyclists from all over the world competing alongside other world-class athletes from across multiple cycling disciplines. I think people will be hugely inspired when they see what can be achieved by these Para athletes and I would love it if it can attract more people into cycling either for sport, leisure or travel regardless of their physical abilities.”

The UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships will see upwards of 300 athletes from more than 30 countries compete with the Road Race and Time Trial events featuring in Dumfries & Galloway. The Mixed Team Relay will be held in Glasgow.

Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive of the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds, said: “I’m pleased that Dumfries & Galloway has been announced as our first venue outside Glasgow for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and I know the region will do a terrific job of hosting the Para-cycling Road World Championships. The 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds will be like nothing Scotland and the world has ever seen before so I’m excited that we can engage communities across the whole of the country in this event. Our colleagues at Dumfries & Galloway Council and South of Scotland Enterprise have been hugely positive about being a host region for the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds and we look forward to working with them over the next two years to maximise the benefits of bringing this global event here and showcasing the transformative power of the bike.”

Councillor Andrew Ferguson, Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Communities Committee, said: “Here in South West Scotland, we are serious about supporting cycling. It will be a privilege to host the UCI Para–cycling Road World Championships in August 2023 and play a part in showcasing Scotland’s cycling heritage to the World. Athletes, officials and spectators will receive the warmest of welcomes and I’m sure local people will turn out in their thousands to cheer on the para-cyclists and take in the races.”

Professor Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), said: “With Dumfries and Galloway credited with being the region which introduced the pedal bicycle to the world, it feels fitting that it will now play a major role in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

“As the economic and community development agency for the South of Scotland, our support for the Para-cycling Road event ties into our core values which centre around being bold, striving, inclusive and responsible, and will help bring a global focus to Dumfries and Galloway.

“Working with partners, we are committed to helping the South of Scotland build on its already impressive cycling reputation, highlighted by our involvement in the Borderlands Growth Deal project to create a mountain bike innovation centre, bike park and trail lab at Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders.”

Dumfries & Galloway is a fitting host of the Para-cycling Road as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds, not only because of its world-class cycling routes but because it also lays claim to being the region that gave the first pedal bicycle to the world in 1839 thanks to a design by local blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan.

A replica of Macmillan’s creation still exists in Dumfries Museum, as well as a plaque on the wall of his old Smithy. To commemorate the invention and Dumfries & Galloway’s hosting of the Para-cycling Road World Championships, a special video has also been released by the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds and can be seen on the Championships’ Youtube channel.

[Source: UCI] The 190th Congress of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – an electoral Congress - was held on 24^th September in Leuven (Belgium) during the 2021 UCI Road World Championships that are taking place in Flanders and mark the centenary of the event. The UCI Congress brought together representatives of 95 of the UCI’s member National Federations.

President of the International Federation since the UCI Congress held in Bergen (Norway) in September 2017, David Lappartient was re-elected in Leuven for a second term of four years at the head of the institution. As the only candidate, he was re-elected by acclamation.

The UCI Congress also had the responsibility of holding the election for members of the new UCI Management Committee, who will serve on the Federation’s executive for the next four years. The elected members are (by Confederation then in alphabetical order where relevant):

For the Confédération Africaine de Cyclisme (CAC)

Mr Mohammed BEN EL MAHI (MAR)

For the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC)

Mr Amarjit Singh Gill DARSHAN SINGH (MAS)

For the Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC)

Mr Michel CALLOT (FRA)

Mr Rocco CATTANEO (SUI)

Ms Daniela ISETTI (ITA)

Mr Henrik Jess JENSEN (DEN)

Ms Agata LANG (POL)

Mr José Luis LÓPEZ CERRÓN (ESP)

Mr Igor Viktorovich MAKAROV (RUS)

For the Confederación Panamericana de Ciclismo (COPACI)

Ms Sonia Gregoria RAMOS ACUÑA (BOL)

For the Oceania Cycling Confederation (OCC)

Ms Anne GRIPPER (AUS)

These 11 new members join the Management Committee alongside the Presidents of the five Continental Confederations – elected at the beginning of this year – as well as the President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission, who all automatically serve on the UCI’s Management Committee. They are listed below (in alphabetical order):

Mr Osama Ahmed Abdullah AL SHAFAR (UAE), ACC President

Dr Mohamed Wagih AZZAM (EGY), CAC President

Mr Enrico DELLA CASA (ITA), UEC President

Mr Tony MITCHELL (NZL), OCC President

Ms Katerina NASH (CZE), President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission*

Mr José Manuel PELAEZ (CUB), COPACI President.

* until the election of the new President of the Commission by its members between November and December 2021.

Championship hosts revealed

At a ceremony organised during Congress, participants discovered the different UCI World Championships for the 2022-2027 period attributed earlier in the week by the UCI Management Committee. In total, the names of host cities for nine UCI World Championships – for a total of seven countries and five disciplines – were revealed:

2022 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships: Ghent (Belgium)

2022 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Championships: Barcelona (Spain)

2022 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon Masters World Championships: Madonna di Campiglio (Italy)

2024 and 2025 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships: Roubaix (France)

2025 UCI Road World Championships: Kigali (Rwanda)

2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships: Hulst (the Netherlands)

2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships: Victoriaville (Canada)

2027 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships: Ostend (Belgium).

The announcement that the 2025 UCI Road World Championships are awarded to the capital of Rwanda means this will be a first appearance in Africa of the UCI’s annual flagship event. It is a decisive step in the organisation of this historic event which featured among the major objectives of the UCI’s Agenda 2022.

Four new members joined the UCI at its 2021 Congress, which approved the affiliation of the National Federations of South Sudan, the Solomon Islands, Equatorial Guinea and the Vatican (the UCI is the only International Federation to have the Vatican among its members). The objective of reaching 200 affiliated National Federations by the end of David Lappartient’s first term as President of the UCI, in line with the Federation’s Agenda 2022, has been reached and exceeded. There are now 201 affiliated National Federations.

The Congress approved the 2020 UCI Annual Report, which contains the audited consolidated financial statements for the UCI and the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC). At more than 40 million Swiss francs, the reserves of the two entities at the end of 2020 remained almost unchanged compared to 2019, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The Congress also approved the UCI’s 2022 budget as well as an updated forecast for 2021. The UCI’s projected reserves over the new Olympic cycle were also presented to Congress. They show prudent growth in reserves through to 2024 and at the same time increasing funds available for the development of cycling worldwide.

The Congress also approved a modification to the UCI Constitution to increase the number of Vice-Presidents from three to four, and to ensure they include at least one representative of each gender.

Participants at Congress were informed of the delivery status of all objectives in the UCI’s Agenda 2022. Much progress has been made: as of the end of September 2021, close to 80% of the 300 objectives communicated have been totally or almost entirely achieved.

Congress participants welcomed the award of the UCI Bike City label to the city of Sakarya (Turkey) by the Federation’s Management Committee earlier in the week. This label is in recognition of the quality of each recipient’s strategy for developing and promoting everyday use of the bike, and of their commitment to organising events on the UCI International Calendar. Sakarya joins the 14 cities and regions that already hold the UCI Bike City label.

Sakarya hosted the 2020 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships, a round of the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon series, as well as a round of the 2020 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup. The Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality has developed a 10-year action plan and is investing heavily to become a city that not only hosts championships, but also ensures bikes are used more actively in transportation, encourages people to lead healthier lives, and promotes a cycling culture. Dedicating approximately 15% of the total annual budget to cycling, it has developed multiple cycling infrastructures and programmes, including the multi-disciplinary Cycling Valley, protected bicycle paths, traffic parks, road safety programmes, children’s cycling programmes and various events for the public.

Finally, the Congress awarded the UCI Merit, a distinction rewarding those who have made a remarkable contribution to cycling, to:

Mr Fazli Ahmad Fazli (AFG), President of the Afghanistan Cycling Federation, for his courageous commitment to the development of cycling, notably women’s cycling, in a country where fighting for this cause is a risk.

Mr Greg LeMond (USA), double road UCI World Champion and triple winner of the Tour de France, for his exceptional contribution to the legend of international cycling.

Mr Philippe Leuba (SUI), Head of the Department of Economy, Innovation and Sport in the canton of Vaud - which houses the UCI headquarters and UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) - for his efforts alongside the UCI to welcome to the UCI WCC, people threatened in Afghanistan due to their passion for cycling with no barriers.

Mr Tom Van Damme (BEL), member of the UCI Management Committee and President of the Royal Belgian Cycling League (RLVB) for his constant commitment to the development of cycling at international level.

In addition, Mr Renato Di Rocco (ITA), Vice-President of the UCI, and Mr Artur Lopes (POR), member of its Management Committee, who both leave their positions, become respectively UCI Honorary Vice-President and Honorary Member of the UCI Management Committee. Moreover, at its extraordinary session after the Congress, the Management Committee decided to renew Mr Tom Van Damme’s mandate as President of the Professional Cycling Council.

The UCI President David Lappartient declared: “I would like to whole-heartedly thank the National Federations affiliated to the UCI for renewing their confidence in me by electing me for a second term of four years. I look forward to continuing my work at the head of world cycling. After achieving a large majority of the objectives in the Agenda 2022, I now mean to work with our members to establish an Agenda 2030 whose goals will shape the future of cycling in the medium and long term.

I would also like to extend a welcome to the new members of our Management Committee that now includes considerably more women, with Ms Daniela Isetti, Ms Agata Lang, Ms Sonia Gregoria Ramos Acuña and Ms Anne Gripper. I am convinced that we will work together effectively for the development and promotion of cycling.

“I welcome the attribution of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships to Kigali, in Rwanda. Staging our biggest annual event in Africa was one of our dreams. Today, this is nearer to becoming a reality. I sincerely thank Tangier and Morocco for their bid of very high quality. The UCI encourages the country to submit new bids for future events. Given its love of cycling and its commitment for the development of our sport, it deserves to welcome major UCI events.”

More equal gender representation

Meeting for an extraordinary session after the Congress of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) organised during the 2021 UCI Road World Championships in Flanders (Belgium), the newly elected Management Committee carried out the election of the Federation’s Vice-Presidents for the next four years. In line with a modification to the UCI Constitution approved earlier in the day by its Congress, the UCI now counts at least one Vice-President of each gender, for a total of four Vice-Presidents (compared with three previously). The Vice-Presidents elected are:

Dr Mohamed Wagih AZZAM (EGY), President of the Confédération Africaine de Cyclisme (CAC)

Ms Katerina NASH (CZE), President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission

Mr Enrico DELLA CASA (ITA), President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC)

Mr Osama Ahmed Abdullah AL SHAFAR (UAE), President of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC).

Their term begins immediately and will finish after the 2025 UCI Congress.

The extraordinary meeting of the Management Committee also decided to bring in a co-opted member to the UCI Management Committee: Ms Yuan YUAN (CHN), Vice-President of the Asian Cycling Confederation and Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Cycling Association.

It also confirmed Ms Amina Lanaya in the position of Director General of the UCI.

The President of the UCI David Lappartient, re-elected during the Congress, declared: “I would like to congratulate my four Vice-Presidents for their election, and I look forward to working with them over the next four years.

“With the election of Ms Yuan Yuan to the UCI Management Committee, it now has six women members out of 18, as opposed to just one after the previous elections. This is a major step towards more equal gender representation in the governance of cycling, which is one of the UCI’s priorities.

“I would also like to thank Mr Renato Di Rocco, who has been one of my Vice-Presidents since 2017 until this week, after occupying this role for the first time between 2009 and 2013. His support, his experience and his extensive knowledge of cycling have been precious throughout the many years he has served our sport.”

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord has launched the host city application processes for future editions of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit from 2023 and the Regional SportAccord from 2022.

Cities interested in hosting the global sports industry’s most influential annual gathering have been invited to submit a Bid City Application Form for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit. The next edition of the event will take place from 15-20 May 2022 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

The inaugural edition of Regional SportAccord Pan America took place in December 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, USA, and those interested in hosting future editions can complete a Bid City Application Form. Applications will be considered to host a dedicated Regional SportAccord for Europe, Asia, Africa or Oceania, as well as Pan America.

Information about who attends both events, as well as hotel accommodation requirements, short- and long-term hosting benefits, the financial commitments and hosting terms, and the bidding and selection processes can be found by accessing the City Application Information Packages for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit here and Regional SportAccord here.

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit, first held in 2003, is the only global sports business gathering attended by all international sport federations and their affiliated umbrella organisations, as well as organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, plus experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

With more than 1,500 key decision-makers representing over 1,000 different organisations and over 150 cities and regions in attendance, the six-day event in March, April or May each year features high-level meetings, a conference programme split into multiple sector-specific ‘streams’, an exhibition and numerous social events.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, says: “We have been greatly encouraged by the significant number of destinations that have expressed an interest in hosting future editions of our industry-leading events as the global industry continues its recovery from the pandemic. We look forward to receiving formal applications in the coming weeks and months for these events, which will take place after the highly anticipated SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg marks a milestone in the global sports movement’s resurgence.”

Regional SportAccord was launched in order to bring together international sport federations and organisations involved in the business of sport for a specific region, with the 2019 Regional SportAccord Pan America event attended by international sport federations, cities and ministries, rights-holders and industry experts. Designed to welcome more than 500 delegates from over 50 countries representing well over 200 different organisations, Regional SportAccord, held over three days, also showcases a two-day conference programme and an extensive sports industry exhibition.

Click here to check out the City Application Information Package and here to access the Bid City Application Form for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit. For Regional SportAccord, the City Application Information Package can be accessed here and the Bid City Application Form can be found here.

Each Bid City Application Form should be submitted along with a formal Letter of Commitment that has been signed on behalf of the prospective host city.

For any questions regarding the Bid City Application Process, please contact SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt by email at nis.hatt@sportaccord.sport or by phone at +41 79 126 62 28. Every Bid City Application will be presented to the SportAccord Executive Committee for review, and each city will receive feedback in due course.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, the 19^th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2022 exhibition space.

[Source: SportAccord] GAISF has launched the host city selection process for future editions of various world multi-sport events, including the World Urban Games, World Combat Games and World Mind Games.

The world multi-sport events bring the best of sport to host cities, driving global exposure and creating the perfect bridge between elite sport and local communities.

GAISF and SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli said:

“We are delighted to open the host city selection process for future multi-sport Games. All of these events bring the best of sport to the heart of a city, while engaging with youth communities through inspiring initiatives to encourage greater participation in physical activity.

“We are also excited to be working with SportAccord from an operational perspective on the delivery of these various events. SportAccord has extensive experience in the organisation of world-class events and a thorough understanding of the global sports community and multi-sport event landscape.”

Following the successful inaugural 2019 edition of the GAISF World Urban Games in Budapest, GAISF has scheduled a second edition for 2023. The initial version included BMX freestyle, inline roller freestyle, parkour, breaking, 3x3 basketball and freestyle flying disc, together with laser run and indoor rowing. The World Urban Games places sport at the heart of a family-friendly city-centre festival that also includes music and art.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was recently selected as the next host of the World Combat Games with Riyadh set to become the beating heart of martial arts combat sports in 2023. Finally, the World Mind Games are a multi-sport event centred on the gymnasium of the mind and highlighting the great value of the mind sports.

City representatives who want to learn more should not hesitate to contact GAISF Director and SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt at nis.hatt@sportaccord.com.

[Orlando, Florida] Al Kidd, President & CEO of Sports ETA, the international association for the sports events and tourism industry, is one of a several influential voices hailing Orlando’s rapidly recovering tourism industry and identifying sport as a key driver.

“As we emerge from the restrictions and challenges of the pandemic and return to business, great cities like Orlando are poised to recover faster than others. Sports events and sports tourism in Orlando have shown to be the re-entry catalyst, generating new and much needed business”, he said.

Jesse Martinez, General Manager at The Alfond Inn, Chairman of the Central Florida Lodging Association Board of Directors, and Board Member at Visit Florida, agrees. “In my opinion, Central Florida has a tremendous head start on all other major city travel destinations. After seeing a huge influx of travelers this past spring break, we have not slowed down since.” 

“Sports tourism was an early bright spot when Orlando began to reopen in the summer of 2020 as we hosted the NBA bubble, the MLS is Back Tournament and youth events such as the AAU’s Jr.  National Volleyball Championship,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, who echoed the sentiments of Jesse Martinez by saying that “Orlando has a one-year head start”.  

To underline this, the 2021 edition of the same AAU Youth Volleyball event - hosted just a few weeks ago - drew over 130,000 participants and visitors.  Mark Tester, Executive Director at the Orange County Convention Center said: “The event drove one of our highest food and beverage totals in the Center’s history.”

Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International, added: “All eyes were on Orlando during the pandemic as the NBA and MLS restarted their seasons. It was impressive to watch their collaborative community come together to host in the most trying of circumstances.”  

Orlando believes its emphasis on encouraging sports-related travel and welcoming teams and players has been a game-changing factor in keeping its infrastructure ticking over.

“When business travel collapsed, some cities were saved by their youth and amateur sport travel business” said Jason Siegel, CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “There is no doubt in my mind that sports tourism is a viable pathway for generating visitor spending and promoting a destination – which is why Orlando puts such a high priority on it”.

In normal times, Orlando has the largest tourism industry in the USA, producing $26 billion a year, exceeding Las Vegas with $19 million. One in five workers in Orlando (21%) worked directly in hospitality and leisure in 2019. When COVID-19 struck, the unemployment rate skyrocketed. “Our neighbors at Port Canaveral, who derive significant revenue from the cruise industry, lost 43% of their workforce,” said Siegel.

But as life normalizes, the recovery is swift, much more so than many anticipated. Hotels are taking bookings; forward occupancy is very promising and optimism abounds.

According to a study authored by Adam Sacks of Tourism Economics, hotel room demand overall has reached 89% of 2019 figures and air passengers are at 71% (June 2021). Leisure trips will be nearly back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, although business will take longer. He has said: “Overall, sports are outperforming the market as youth sports have returned well before other business-related events. In fact, we are hearing from clients that sports have been the star performer in what has been an otherwise dismal market”

Orlando, one of 17 US candidate host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, is hoping to be selected for the final 10. “I believe our reputation as a collaborative tourism community and reliable partner to sport – and our popularity as a destination – suggest we surely deserve a place” Siegel summed up.

[Source: City of Edmonton] The City of Edmonton has announced a comprehensive and growing level of public support for their candidature to be a host city of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, taking place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Collated feedback from surveys conducted in 2018 and 2020 show an increased level of public support for the hosting. Edmonton is one of three Canadian cities included in the United bid, alongside Montreal and Toronto, with the city’s Commonwealth Stadium having a capacity of 56,400 and located just minutes from the city centre.

Among the results, the surveys showed a 77% support among Edmonton residents for the hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, an increase of 6% from 2018, with prime reasons for support being the economic boost (40%), exposure for the city (32%), and benefits for tourism (21%). More than 1,200 residents were randomly recruited for the survey, while an additional open-link survey was completed by more than 3,700 residents, showing an increased level of 93% favourability for the hosting (up from 89% in 2018).

The release of the survey data has provided an extra boost to the city’s aspirations to be confirmed as a host city for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and serves as a positive reinforcement of its commitment to driving the recovery of sporting events following the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, Edmonton has played a leading role in North America in continuing to provide a platform for sports events, hosting events such as the NHL Stanley Cup Finals and the IIHF Junior World Championships, and receiving widespread praise for their handling of such occasions in a secure and safe environment.

On the surveys, Janelle Janis, Director of Edmonton Events said, “It is great to see public support for our hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ continue to grow. In Edmonton, we have had fantastic experiences of hosting FIFA events, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2014, the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup in 2007, and the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2002, and we are incredibly excited for this next step. As these surveys help to show, we will be ready to welcome the world in 2026. With Edmonton, FIFA can truly expect the best.”

With FIFA’s final confirmation of host cities expected to be later this year, today Edmonton has launched their website for its 2026 candidature, to provide information about the city’s vision for hosting the World Cup, and to keep followers up to date with news. The website is available to view here.

Janelle Janis is speaking at Host City Americas online on 29-30 June - register here