The Association of National Olympic Committees announced on May 30 that it is moving the World Beach Games from San Diego and is looking for other cities to host the event. The inaugural World Beach Games, an Olympic-style competition of beach and water sports, was scheduled to take place in Mission Beach. More than 1,300 athletes from 70 nations are expected to compete in 14 sports during the games. “Due to challenges with securing the necessary sponsorships for the inaugural 2019 ANOC World Beach Games in San Diego this October, and the time sensitivity, we have regretfully learned the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has decided to withdraw the event from San Diego,” said Vince Mudd, chair, San Diego Exploratory Foundation.
Four years ago, San Diego earned the right to host the World Beach Games – beating out other major world cities. Lack of funding and corporate sponsorship for the nascent competition is being cited as the main reason ANOC pulled the plug on San Diego. “We greatly appreciate everyone’s work on diligently preparing our city for the games,” Mudd said. “While it may not happen this year, the San Diego Exploratory Foundation will continue pursuing opportunities to host many more exciting activities in the future.”
According to the LA Times, The Assn. of National Olympic Committees said it has entered into discussions with “a number of cities that have the financial guarantees necessary and a proven track record to host a world-class event.”
“San Diego has a long history of successfully hosting major events, including Super Bowls and World Series among others. The planned athlete experiences and excellence of our venues were always to be of the highest quality,” Mudd said. “At the end of the day, we simply could not reach financial agreements that were amenable to both sides. This was a first-time event with no historical private-sector support and we were prepared to meet ANOC’s goals. While disappointed in ANOC’s decision, we will remain in communication with their team,” Mudd said.
