IWGA chief executive Nick Sellers has given an update on the World Games ©IWGA

All venues for the 2021 World Games in Birmingham have been secured after the event was postponed by a year, International World Games Association (IWGA) chief executive Nick Sellers has confirmed.

The World Games in the American city had been scheduled to run from July 15 to 21 next year but were rearranged owing to a clash with the new dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event is now set to take place between July 7 and 17, 2022.

"We started out with an estimated local economic impact of $256 million (£205 million/€235 million)," Sellers said. 

"One of our top priorities remains delivering a lasting impact and legacy for Birmingham. 

"Each and every one of our 25 original venues around the Greater Birmingham area have been confirmed for July of 2022, and we remain committed to showcasing them on a global stage."

Sellers said the additional time before the start of the 2021 World Games provides "more opportunity" for organisers and the IWGA to "promote our partners - not just to Birmingham, but the entire sports world".

Birmingham in Alabama will host the World Games a year later than planned ©IWGA
Birmingham in Alabama will host the World Games a year later than planned ©IWGA

"It also gives us another year to generate new sponsor partnerships to help make this the most exciting and engaging edition of the Games yet," he added.

The World Games is a multi-sport event for disciplines not on the Olympic programme, and is held every four years.

There is some crossover with the Olympics, however, with sports such as karate, climbing and softball featuring at both events.

"Our team at the Birmingham Organising Committee remains confident that our mission to make this edition of The World Games the best one yet will be carried out in 2022 just as strongly - and perhaps even more strongly - as it would have in 2021," Sellers said.

"A large part of our decision to shift the Games to 2022 was based on the number of presentation partners and sports we share with the 2020 Olympics, who recently announced their own shift to the summer of 2021. 

"Our 2022 announcement ensured that our sports programme - which will include more than 3,600 athletes competing in 33 sports - remained intact. 

"This change also maintained our national and international television coverage with ISB and NBC Sports, and allowed full support from SwissTiming, our timing and scoring partner."