[Archive 2013-07-26] Ninth World Games open in Santiago de Cali, Colombia

Historical archive — originally published 2013-07-26. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

The ninth edition of the World Games opened last night in Cali, Colombia's Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero. At least 4,000 athletes from all over the globe are scheduled to take part in this year's edition, which occurs every four years. About 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony. The event started around 8:10 PM Colombian local time with the parade of nations. The first delegation to enter was Afghanistan, followed by Germany. The last delegation in the parade was the local one, Colombia, which was also the most cheered. The country has the largest delegation in the competition, with France having the second largest.

The ceremony was attended by the Presidents of International World Games Association and International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge and Ron Froelich, and the Vice-President of Colombia, Angelino Garzón. When Garzón apologized for President Juan Manuel Santos not being there, the public exploded in whistles of disapproval.

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