The Masters Games

LionOfNarnia

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What a brilliant concept for those of us 'who are a little longer in the tooth'!

Unfortunately, I found out about the games way too late for this years' edition in Torino, and Japan 2021 is just too much of a journey to contemplate seriously. That leaves the 2023 European Masters in Tampere, Finland as the first, perhaps the only, opportunity I'll get to take part.

So, this thread, which I hope will grow into a resource for all those tempted by the idea of a huge international festival of sports 'for the more mature athlete' ;)

I'll post what I come across, and urge anyone else to contribute where they can, whether that be up-to-date info or valuable experience from previous events.

Let's start with a nice pretty map of the area and a couple of links to general info about Tampere, shall we?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampere https://www.lonelyplanet.com/finland/southwestern-finland/tampere





Hmm, seems I can fly to Helsinki from Newcastle - via AMSTERDAM! This idea is looking better & better ;)
 

bimble

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Ooooo, if it's in Finland, maybe I'll try to go! :)
 

Rik

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You should ask TT about her experiences of the games in Sydney (she medalled there in a number of disciplines)... I think there's some write-ups on here somewhere.
 

Senlac

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TT, and several of us too, were in New Zealand for the last World Masters. About 200 archers among 28,000 competitors (more than the regular Olympics). Unforgettable life experience!
Think again about Tokyo... there may be 50,000 there (incl. a LOT of Japanese...)
 

LionOfNarnia

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TT, and several of us too, were in New Zealand for the last World Masters....)
I'd like to hear all about it, from all of you!

Either 'new copy' or links to previous threads - preferably with pix. E2A - *Already reading all the threads in the 'similar threads' box at the bottom*

But no, Japan is out of the question. Beyond my physical limits as well as my financial ones. Finland, that's not too far outside my comfort zone - maybe even as part of an automotive grand tour (well, mostly by ferry) which would be WAY more fun than being crushed into an aeroplane seat after being herded like cattle through 'control' :(

4 years away.

I've heard it's good to set achievable long-term goals, and not just in archery either ;)

Actually, I've already started the route-planning, and it does seem like a fun road-trip:-

Afternoon/overnight ferry from Newcastle to Ijmuiden, a day (or two) in/around Amsterdam, catching up with some of the bro/s & si/s I used to hang with, few beers, few laffs, somewhere to crash. Then a 5.5 hour drive (a lot on no-limit Autobahns!) up to Lubeck/Travemunde for the 30 hr scenic cruise up the Baltic to Helsinki, with just 112 miles to drive to Tampere at the far end.

Yes, it will be even more fun with a compatible wing-man so I'm declaring that position open already. Applicants will deffo need to be tobacco-friendly!
 

Senlac

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Where did you hear about the 2023 EMG?
I know about:
2017 - World Masters Games - Auckland
2018 - Asian Masters Games Penang, Malaysia
2019 - European Masters Games,Turin (starting next week)
2020 - Pan-American Masters Games, Rio
2021 - World Masters Games, Kyoto/Osaka, Japan
But I hadn't heard any others had been announced yet by the IMGA

BTW, we once drove to Helsinki and back, using pretty much the route you're planning. Not a problem:
London-Eurotunnel-Hamburg-Travem?nde-Helsinki (long ferry). Then back Helsinki-Stockholm (ferry)-Malmo-Femern (short ferry)-Hamburg-Eurotunnel-London.
 

LionOfNarnia

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Where did you hear about the 2023 EMG?
LOL I was curious about where it was gonna be held so I did a search (NOT g**gle! Only the uncaring use that :( ) and found the announcement on an Australian sports info page:-

https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/gold-coast-masters-games-sign-memorandum-of-understanding/

MAY 9, 2019
EVENTS / SPORT
The organisers of Gold Coast’s biennial Pan Pacific Masters Games have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2019 SportAccord Gold Coast with the team behind the Kansai 2021 World Masters Games in Japan.

The MoU was agreed by Kansai 2021 Organising Committee Secretary General Hiroo Kinoshita and Kerry Watson, Chairman of Events Management Queensland.

The MoU outlines how the two organisations will work together on marketing opportunities, knowledge-exchange and other matters.

The International Masters Games Association (IMGA) which held its General Assembly at SportAccord on Monday, has also confirmed that the 2023 European Masters Games will take place in Tampere, Finland.

At the meeting, Members received progress reports from all of the IMGA’s upcoming major event hosts, including Torino (European Masters games 2019), Innsbruck (World Winter Masters Games 2020), Rio (Pan-American Masters Games 2020) and Kansai.

IMGA Director of Sport Samantha Hayward said that “it was clear from the updates that all of the hosts are on track.”

Although there is no mention of 2023 (yet?) on the IMGA site.

....so being a bull-in-a-china-shop type, I just grabbed the ball & ran with it!
 

dottorfoggy

Member
Nice! This is really interesting!
How can I be part on the competition?
I live in ?land, there is also a route from turku till ?land and then Stockholm.
There are Vikings line and Tallink silja as ferry, I take all the time Vikings.
 

LionOfNarnia

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WOW!

You're practically a local!

I think it will be at least 2 years before any actual applications can be made, perhaps 3 is more likely, but good to get the party-planning started early, no?
 

dottorfoggy

Member
I hope to be part of it and the island games too, both are in the same month :)
BTW is a good chance to meet some guys from this forum! :)
 

LionOfNarnia

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Been doing a bit more thinking, for all a 'road trip' would deffo be the kewl way to roll, it's by far the longest & most expensive.

- At todays' prices the total travel for a 10-day trip would be around a grand each for two people. Assuming I'll still be as poor then as I am now (No, I don't 'play the lottery') perhaps 'Plan A' should be for something more economical. Here's an example of roughly what to expect:-



The other 'biggie' about travel is of course, that we don't have a clue what the 'visa situation' will be like in 4 years. The first date we'll start getting hints of what to expect on that will be around midnite on 31st October. #NoDealNoProblem #OutMeansOut

Hell, right now I don't even have a passport.
 

Rik

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Supporter
Been doing a bit more thinking, for all a 'road trip' would deffo be the kewl way to roll, it's by far the longest & most expensive.

- At todays' prices the total travel for a 10-day trip would be around a grand each for two people. Assuming I'll still be as poor then as I am now (No, I don't 'play the lottery') perhaps 'Plan A' should be for something more economical. Here's an example of roughly what to expect:-



The other 'biggie' about travel is of course, that we don't have a clue what the 'visa situation' will be like in 4 years. The first date we'll start getting hints of what to expect on that will be around midnite on 31st October. #NoDealNoProblem #OutMeansOut

Hell, right now I don't even have a passport.
Hell, I would say that 4 years was long enough for them to sort everything out, but then I would have said something similar 3 years ago... Never underestimate the ability of people to screw up.
 

LionOfNarnia

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Thought I'd go to the horses' mouth to ask if the Aussies got it right or not:-



Can we now take it as read that we WILL be out of the EU soon(ish) & that visas will be required?

BoJo may be a total liability to lead a 'peacetime' government, but in the absence of Nigel the Impaler he's surely our best hope for escaping that failing experiment in world government.
 

chuffalump

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Depends whether he bothers planning anything. The whole Schengen area has deals with many countries to allow easy access.
 

bimble

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For those that might care, a slightly out of date (Croatia has since joined the EU) Venn Diagram of European Bodies...

 

Rik

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Here's the thing. Continued trade with the EU (and probably also with the US) will require some sort of deal with the EU (call it a FTA if you like) because of the Good Friday Agreement.
If there is no deal before Brexit, there's going to have to be one after, which is likely to be harder and take longer. At this point BoJo's best option (in absolute terms) is to revoke and go back to the drawing board. I can't see happening. More likely is a continuing, fumbling mess.
 

JohnK

Well-known member
Here's the thing. Continued trade with the EU (and probably also with the US) will require some sort of deal with the EU (call it a FTA if you like) because of the Good Friday Agreement.
If there is no deal before Brexit, there's going to have to be one after, which is likely to be harder and take longer. At this point BoJo's best option (in absolute terms) is to revoke and go back to the drawing board. I can't see happening. More likely is a continuing, fumbling mess.
That's "a continuing, fumbling mess that he will blame on the EU27, and some people will be stupid enough to believe him".

But there you go, that's Britain today for you :)
 

Emmadragon

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Ok, to get back to the OP topic, I'm interested - how does one get into these games? Japan is also out for me, but I could be extremely interested in Finland.
 

LionOfNarnia

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Ok, to get back to the OP topic, I'm interested - how does one get into these games? Japan is also out for me, but I could be extremely interested in Finland.
I'll take the 'blame' for things turning 'a bit political'.

How to get in?

You just need to apply, and give them some money. There are no 'qualifications' or 'selections', it's very open & inclusive. Also (going by the info I saw from the current EMG in Italy) the 'entry fee' allows one to compete in more than one event. It was around Eur 80 for Italy if I remember right, certainly not a prohibitive amount.

Reckon it'll be at least a couple of years before applications 'open', and it's still not 'officially' confirmed by IMGA that Tampere will be the host city, but hey, ain't it nice to be looking forward to something that won't happen for 4 years?
 
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