February 4, 2022
Welcome to our first monthly news update of 2022. Typically, this edition would have made its appearance on the last day of the month, on Monday of this week. However, we were awaiting some exciting news, so we held the presses. And the wait was well worth it! Read on to find out why.
North Carolina Named One of Two Finalists for 2027 Games!
It’s been four years since the North Carolina Bid Committee (NCBC) began its efforts to bring the World University Games, the world’s largest event for student athletes, to our state. Yesterday, The Old North State’s quest achieved a major milestone, being named one of two finalists to host the Summer World University Games in 2027!
The International University Sports Federation (FISU), international governing body for the World University Games, announced yesterday North Carolina (USA) and Chungcheong Megacity (Republic of Korea) as the two finalist contenders for the 2027 Games. North Carolina’s bid is centered in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and Greensboro (in the state’s Triangle and Triad regions) while South Korea’s regional bid includes the cities of Daejeon and Sejong and the provinces of Chungbuk and Chungnam.
Hill Carrow, Chair & CEO of NCBC, said, “While there is more heavy lifting ahead, we are absolutely thrilled to have made it to the final stage of competition for the Games.” Expressing strong confidence in North Carolina’s bid, Dan Guerrero, President of the U.S. International University Sports Federation (USIUSF), the U.S. member of FISU, had this to say: “We know we have what it takes to host and stage an outstanding Games, and we look forward to working with the North Carolina Bid Committee in making our strong case to FISU.”
FISU has indicated the remainder of the bid process will involve a technical site visit, final preparation and submission of the bid dossier, approval of the attribution contract, and a site evaluation. The final selection and announcement of the winning bid will take place at the FISU Executive Board Meeting on Sunday, October 9, 2022.
USA Water Polo Eastern Championships Return
Over the weekend of Friday, January 7 to Sunday, January 9, 2022, the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program Eastern Championships, the largest water polo tournament in the eastern U.S., made its return, after a Covid-induced hiatus last year, to the Greensboro Aquatic Center, one of the proposed host venues in North Carolina’s bid for the 2027 Summer World University Games.
A number of our NC Bid Committee leaders and staff, as well as volunteers, assisted in hosting the Championships, which were deemed a major success by USA Water Polo (USAWP), particularly since it involved three games taking place simultaneously among more than 500 athletes during the height of the Omicron wave of the coronavirus. “We could not be more pleased to be back online with a major live event to kick off 2022,” said Ryan Cunnane, Chief Growth Officer for USAWP, “And our North Carolina hosts, combined with the outstanding venue, made for a first-class – and safe! – athlete experience. We look forward to returning to NC with an even bigger version of the Championships next year.”
USA Water Polo, a big fan of North Carolina’s Bid for the World University Games, is committing to providing all the necessary equipment, officials, and technical support required to make the Water Polo competition in the Games, should NC be selected as host, second to none. Eric Gordon, head of the Carolina Water Polo Club, has been tapped by our NC Bid Committee as Local Sport Coordinator for Water Polo, and he and his club will help provide the technical support for a World University Games Water Polo competition in the state.
Cary Chamber President Promotes NC’s WUG Bid
At the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s annual economic update early last month, Mark Lawson, the new President of the Cary Chamber, which is a NC WUG Bid Sponsor, spoke to the attendees about the importance and impact of the region’s World University Games bid, particularly what it could mean for Cary. Some of Mark’s remarks have been summarized below:
· The World University Games would require sports and related facilities across our entire region and would showcase all our local universities, colleges and community colleges as well as the overall metro area and our respective communities.
· In Cary, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary Tennis Park, Triangle Aquatic Center, USA Baseball National Training Complex, and hopefully the new Cary Multi-sport Facility under development by the Town, would all be important venues in the event.
· This is a very important bid for our region, since if we were to win the bid, it would establish a 5-year major positive global marketing campaign for Cary and the surrounding region, and, of course, in 2027 we would have the opportunity to host the world and be showcased around the planet on the international broadcast, right here in the Triangle.
· The Cary Chamber fully supports this effort and there are a number of ways you can get involved and help support the bid as well, ranging from volunteer to contributor to corporate sponsor and more.
· Local Cary-based Sponsors of the bid already include Hummingbird Creative, Atlantic Tire, Contender eSports, and North Carolina FC & NC Courage
WUG Bid News Briefs
. New Corporate Supporters: We’re excited to report that the law firm of Hannah Sheridan & Cochran has joined our sponsor ranks as a Bid Supporter. Also, First Bank has become a Contributor to the cause. We want to thank Nan Hannah and David Booth and their respective business colleagues for joining our team of corporate supporters.
. Triangle Badminton & Table Tennis, another one of our WUG Bid sponsors and proposed Bid venue, has recently been selected by USA Table Tennis as one of 10 locations around the country to host a State Qualification Tournament for the 2022 U.S. National Championships.
. USA Baseball National Training Complex Expansion: Later this spring (estimated to be in April?), the Town of Cary and USA Baseball plan to break ground on an expansion of the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, one of our proposed venues for World University Games Baseball, that will include offices, warehouse space, classrooms, support amenities, and a covered infield training area that can be converted to batting cages.
Support the Bid
You can support the bid in a number of ways: corporate sponsorship, individual contribution, volunteering, or purchasing bid merchandise. (Bid apparel could make an attractive gift. Just click here.) We encourage you to visit our award-winning website at www.ncwug2027bid.com and join our team.
Sponsor Thank You’s
We cannot thank our sponsors enough for their strong belief in, and generous support of, North Carolina’s bid for the World University Games. We encourage you to patronize their businesses and give them your own personal thanks when you do.
Sponsors
