Health & Fitness
World Masters Games
Oct
The World Masters Games
The World Masters Games is an international sporting athletics competition for mature participants. It is held every four years by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA). The event is specifically for mature age entrants. The athletes are over the age of 30 and into their middle and senior years. Approximately 50,000 participants take part, usually about 20,000 participants from outside Japan, and 30,000 participants from within Japan.
The World Masters Games have traditionally welcomed athletes of all skill levels. They present a chance to test skills in an official competition format, meet like-minded athletes, and party!
Previous World Masters Games
Canada hosted the first World Masters Games in 1985 in Toronto. Every four years the games are held in different countries across the world. Aalborg, Aarhus, and Herning (1989), Brisbane (1994), Portland, Oregon (1998), Melbourne (2002), Edmonton (2005), Sydney (2009), Turin (2013), Auckland (2017) The 10th World Masters Games is scheduled to be held the next year 2021 in Kansai, Japan.
The Sydney 2009 World Masters Games attracted a record of 28,676 competitors.
The Games have been popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors, with over 230 past Olympians taking part in the 2009 edition.
Many Benefits
There are also national Masters Games held in countries around the world. Participants meet up for the national events in a social environment, many establishing friendships, and camaraderie. There is competitiveness but also the fun and social aspects.
Based on a philosophy that promotes and encourages mature athletes to compete in sport throughout life, the Masters Games promotes improved fitness, socializing, friendship, and understanding across cultures, and sets an example for all related to successfully participating actively even into the senior years.
Some World Masters Games athletes have pursued sport over an extended period of time, or at an early period of their life, while others have started participating in their chosen sport later in life.
Research
Results from research show that socialization was the most important personal motivation for sports participation in the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games. And that health and socialization are stronger motivators for the participants than the competition.
As well as fitness and socializing, there are many other advantages that matured athletes find beneficial from participating in sports activities. Exercise is therapeutic towards staying healthy, flexible, maintaining bone density, agility, and improving cardiac health.
Benefits of Regular Exercise
Regular participation in physical activities aids in:
- Reduce falls risks due to better agility
- Reduce obesity risk (obesity is a major precursor of diabetes)
- Reduce stress and potentially reduce the risk of heart disease
- Can contribute to decreasing of cholesterol
- Fight against osteoporosis – especially with weight-bearing activities
- Potentially help in Improving the immune system
- Maintain and build healthy muscle mass
- Develop social connections, which is important for psychological and emotional health
Starting Exercise
Before deciding on new physical sporting activity, it is advisable to consider your abilities. Some sports are more physical than others, and some could have potential risks, such as stress on body joints. Medical advice is recommended before taking up new sporting activities.
Baby Boomers
Baby boomers who once fueled the growth of the fitness industry in their younger years and are now gravitating toward fitness-related activities, including athletic competition, in their later years. The growing ranks of the 65+ population, Increasing life spans, changing attitudes regarding senior fitness, and the promotion of sports participation for senior members of the community could potentially result in increasing the numbers of master’s games and senior athletes.
Choices
There is a broad range of sporting events to choose from when considering the Masters Games. Many participate in running races, from short sprints to longer endurance marathons, and swimming is another popular choice. The events are structured in age categories, so even participants in their nineties have a definite opportunity to compete and win in their age category. With a wide range of sports activities to choose from, there are opportunities to participate in various activities, including Ten Pin Bowling.
International Friendships
Meeting other participants from around the world broadens experiences, provides opportunities to extend knowledge, and builds friendships. Many participants enjoy meeting up with their fellow athletes from around the globe and there are many strong and lasting friendships attributed to the Masters Games.
Australian decathlete Andrew Brooker, 51, is counting down the days until the 2021 World Masters Games in Japan next May. The veteran athlete has been involved in track events for many years. He is keen to test himself against some of the best in the world. He is eager to take up the challenge of competing. He competed at the state level as a middle-distance runner and 400m hurdler and qualified for the Australian Championships in younger years. Now he has taken up the decathlon. He has become a regular representative for Australia, participating in four World Masters Athletics Championships. He also participated in the World Masters Games held in Brisbane.
In the nine WMG events since the first in Toronto in 1985, more than 170,000 competitors have participated. It is predicted the 10th edition in Japan could see a record number of entrants. Featuring 35 sports and 59 disciplines. The organizers expect around 50,000 competitors and some 200,000 participants, enjoying sports as diverse as traditional track, field and team events but also dragon boat racing, tenpin bowling, tug of war, and gate ball.
Preparations
The Games organizing committee has asked athletes to assist. Those training for the quadrennial international multisport event has been asked to share their workouts during coronavirus lockdowns. Man Kaur is 104 years old and is a track and field athlete from India. Man Kaur won 100-meter sprint gold in the Auckland 2017 games. A video was posted of Man Kaur, currently residing in a University dorm, running down a corridor for practice.
“Despite the coronavirus pandemic, many athletes are being creative to continue training at home. We believe sharing those efforts will give motivation ahead of the games,” said Norie Kamiwatari, Organising Committee, World Masters Games 2021.
Saori Sakoda is a member of Japan’s bronze-winning women’s volleyball team – 2012 London Olympics. Saori has demonstrated improving concentration by juggling small paper and aluminum foil balls.
“The (social media) posts are by people of all ages with diverse nationalities, just like the World Masters Games itself,” Kamiwatari said.
Participation
Consider the benefits of participating in your chosen sporting activity and preparing for the Masters Games. And if being a sporting participant is not appealing, then there are other ways to participate, as with the Olympic Games, there are many roles behind the scenes. For entertainment and enjoyment, consider being a spectator at the World Masters Games or national level Masters Games.
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Masters_Games
https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/publications/why-do-people-participate-in-the-world-masters-games
https://ijins.umsida.ac.id/data/
