The 6th World Games will be held in the Akita Prefecture in Japan, August 16 - 26, 2001. The tenpin bowling championship will be staged at Utenayu Bowl in Yokote City, 70 km southeast of Akita City from 21 - 23 August.

Players from 24 countries, one men and one women each, will be competing for the medals in men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles events.

2nd August: There are only fourteen days before the official opening of the sixth World Games takes place on Thursday August 16 at the Yabase Stadium in Akita City in north-west Japan.

The World Games is a quadrennial multi-sports event for those sports or disciplines not yet included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games.

The World Games has been established by the International World Games Association (WGA) by its then President Dr Un Yong Kim in the early 80s when at that time the Olympic Games were not yet regarded as highly as it is at present.

Earlier editions of the World Games were organised in 1981 in Santa Clara (USA); in 1984 in London (GBR); in 1989 Karlsruhe (GER); in 1993 in The Hague (NED) and in 1997 in Lahti (FIN). The seventh World Games will be organised in the German City of Duisburg, 14-24 July 2005.

At present the IWGA has 31 Member Federations. Twenty-four of them are involved in the World Games 2001 in Akita. For the first time in the rather short history of the World Games the Akita program includes, among other newcomers, three disciplines of Billiards: Carom, Pool for Men and Women and Snooker, and Seven-a-side Rugby Union. To name only a few sports of the many included in the program: Bowling, DanceSport, Gymnastics, Karate, Parachuting, Roller Sports and Water Ski.

The total number of athletes and officials the Akita Organising Committee (AOC) is arranging free board and lodging for will be approximately 2.500. To date the total number of nations to be represented in the various sports event is over 80, divided over five continents.

The World Games 2001 in Akita will officially be declared open by the Japanese Minister of Education. On behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President R. Kevan Gosper will officiate as the newly elected IOC President Dr Jacques Rogge is unfortunately unable to be present.

Besides Australian IOC Member Gosper, the following IOC Members will be present at the Opening Ceremony: Chikaru Igaya in his function as IOC Representative to the WG 2001 Akita as well as IOC Member in Japan; Dr Un Yong Kim as Hon. Founder Life IWGA President as well as IOC Member in Korea and also President of AGFIS/GAISF; Anton Geesink, IOC Member in The Netherlands and representative of the Executive Board of the Dutch NOC*NSF; Mr Ching-Kuo Wu, IOC Member in Chinese Taipei; Mr Nat Indrapanda, IOC Member in Thailand; Mr Seyed Shalid Ali, IOC Member in Pakistan; Mr S.M. Ng, IOC Member in Singapore and Mr Timothy T.T. Fok, IOC Member in Hong Kong. IOC Members Dr Tamás Aján and Bruno Grandi will attend the World Games 2001 in Akta later.

For further information about the IWGA and World Games, please contact the IWGA Press Officer Mrs Trukie Albarda. She can be reached by e-mail iwga@hetnet.nl, by telephone number + 31 70 3512774 and by fax number +31 70 3509911. The IWGA web site, although still under construction, can be reached at www.worldgames-iwga.org. The web site of the Akita Organising Committee can be reached at www.wg2001.or.jp.