Cheyenne Suarez

[L-R] IWGA Vice President Tom Dielen, Chairman John Patrick Gregorio, IWGA President José Perurena López, CDM Stephen Arapoc, CEO Joachim Gossow, and Deputy CEO Guillaume Felli.

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Gregorio believes hosting World Games is 'achievable' for PH

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754723290768viber_image_2025-08-09_13-59-57-712.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="[L-R] IWGA Vice President Tom Dielen, Chairman John Patrick Gregorio, IWGA President José Perurena López, CDM Stephen Arapoc, CEO Joachim Gossow, and Deputy CEO Guillaume Felli. Handout/PSC[L-R] IWGA Vice President Tom Dielen, Chairman John Patrick Gregorio, IWGA President José Perurena López, CDM Stephen Arapoc, CEO Joachim Gossow, and Deputy CEO Guillaume Felli. Handout/PSC"/>[L-R] IWGA Vice President Tom Dielen, Chairman John Patrick Gregorio, IWGA President José Perurena López, CDM Stephen Arapoc, CEO Joachim Gossow, and Deputy CEO Guillaume Felli. Handout/PSC</div>MANILA -- Can the Philippines host the World Games in 2033?Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio believes that the country is up to the task and expressed as much during a meeting with International World Games Association President José Perurena López and Chief Executive Officer Joachim Gossow on Saturday.The executives met at the sidelines of the on-going World Games in Chengdu, China, where 110 nations are competing in sports that are not included in the Olympic program.What was expected to be a simple dialogue became an exploratory talk that aligned with the PSC&#x27;s drive of promoting sports tourism and showcasing the Filipino brand of hospitality.&quot;The World Games is all about bringing together the athletes and the community for sports,&quot; said Lopez. &quot;One important aspect in hosting the Games is the involvement of people. You don&#x27;t need new facilities, we don&#x27;t give it to big cities.&quot;&quot;What we want is a host that will bring together its people and give the attendees a tournament they will always remember,&quot; he added.Lopez emphasized that the World Games is perfect for developing countries needing a stage to demonstrate their heritage and local culture.Gregorio believes that the Philippines can be ready for the challenge by 2033.&quot;What we can offer is a game with a heartbeat,&quot; said Gregorio.&quot;Well, you are one point ahead of everybody,&quot; said Gossow, who was thrilled to hear that the country could become the first Southeast Asian nation to host such a significant event for sports.Bidding is open up to 2026, with the international body announcing the next host in the same year. The city of Karlsruhe in Germany is already in preparation for the 2029 edition which is expected to gather 5,000 athletes in 34 sports, some of which can be endorsed as an indigenous game of the hosting nation.&quot;We can do this for the Philippines. Imagine getting everyone involved to welcome 110 countries and give them the warmth of Filipino hospitality,&quot; said Gregorio, who was joined in the meeting by Chef de Mission Stephen Arapoc. &quot;This is achievable.&quot;The sports chief said that existing facilities are already in place in Manila, Clark, and Baguio City to fulfill the requirements of accommodating such a number of athletes, team officials, and even their families and friends.