Birmingham, Alabama - A festive, colorful, and loud opening ceremony raised the curtain on The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. From a dazzling drone show, to a segment celebrating the unifying nature of steel production; the “Magic City” cast its own spell over international sports on Thursday.
The ceremony focused on a concept known as “the power of the one,” where many individual components come together to form a larger, unified body. It served as a reminder of the universal, unifying nature of sport and culture.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin told those gathered, “tonight, we make history together. In the name of unity.”
He focused on the larger implications of The World Games, stating, “we’re ready to put the world on notice: Birmingham is here, and we’re ready once again to change the globe.”
“Over the past few years, our world has seen so much division,” he said, referencing political strife, pandemics, and social upheaval. “As I look out into this crowd, what I see is a world united, right here in Birmingham.”
International World Games Association (IWGA) President José Perurena struck a similar note during his speech at the ceremony. He labeled the gathered athletes a “beacon of hope in a world often torn apart by intolerance and hatred.”
“The World Games must serve as bridge builders,” he decried, assuring those in attendance, “the only walls you will see here in Birmingham are those used by our wall-climbing athletes.”
He also saluted Birmingham’s “Southern Hospitality,” and invited Mayor Woodfin to declare open The World Games 2022.
The ceremony was accented by a star-spangled, flaming, fourth-wall breaking artistic extravaganza. It concluded aptly with a performance by the band Alabama.
Excitement in the city has reached a fever pitch following the opening ceremony, with action across multiple sports set to begin on Friday. Every sport on the program will be hoping to impress onlookers, with a seat at the Olympic table being sought as the ultimate prize.
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