The Games, first held in 1981, are a multi-sport event, meant for sports, or disciplines or events within a sport, that are not contested in the Olympics.

The decision to give the event to Wroclaw, the historical capital of Silesia and the fourth largest city in Poland, was announced today by Ron Froehlich, President of the International World Games Association (IGWA) during a ceremony at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

Wroclaw was chosen ahead of the only other remaining candidate, Budapest.

The official agreement with Wroclaw will be signed in Quebec City during SportAccord on 21 May at the  IWGA annual general meeting.

The ninth edition of the World Games will be staged next year in Cali, Colombia.

"We are happy to present our sports in Wroclaw in the summer of 2017, and we are sure that we will be offered optimal conditions for our sportsmen and women there," said Froehlich.

"All the bids we received were of very high quality, and it was not easy for us to reach a decision." 

The multi-sport event showcases 30-plus sports, including orienteering, body building, powerlifting, finswimming, squash, netball and water skiing, and is the pinnacle of the year for 4,400 athletes from 90 countries.

A number of sports have used the World Games as a platform for inclusion in the Olympics, including badminton, taekwondo and triathlon.

"In the new millennium the World Games have taken a tremendously positive development," said Froehlich.

"We are sure that with Wroclaw as a host we will continue along this successful path."

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