World masters Games - Japan 2021

JohnK

Well-known member
I got different values when I tallied up the numbers (I think about 300 for Lausanne?), but yes, they absolutely should have taken those factors into account.

I really expected better. They seemed to be so well organised with their presence in Auckland and last year in Turin, and were very keen to get information from us.
 

clarke150555

New member
Received an email today from WMG, they apologised for not confirming that I was on the waiting list. They confirmed that I'm on both waiting lists.
 

clarke150555

New member
Kansai put up a facebook post on 26th February showing entries so far for all sports. Total entries 10,266 - entries from Japan 9,362, from Rest of the world 904!! Over 91 per cent from Japan. Might as well rename it the Japanese Masters Games!

Also, there was a pre-registration system. I couldn't figure out how it worked, some pages were in Japanese. Anyway, 2,359 people pre-registered, 2,229 from Japan! Hats off to the 130 from outside Japan who managed to register.
 

JohnK

Well-known member
Wow.

In NZ, there were a lot Kiwi archers, as you can imagine, but they by no means dominated the competition.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
Update & complications...
Update1: after much back-n-forth re waiting lists (there are two: indoor & outdoor. And they need bow type for each, separately), WMG2021 confirmed I was on both waiting lists. But they declined to tell me how long the waiting lists are;
Update2: on 5-Mar they emailed be (twice, once for each waiting list) saying "We will consider to increase the number of participants as we have received registrations for the waiting list from many applicants at the moment. When organiser reviews the upper limit and decided to recruit additional participants, the waiting list registrant will be preferentially notified by e-mail before the general announcement"
Complications (i.e. speculation - but what the hell...)
A. the Olympics are teetering on the brink of being postponed. Already athletes' training is being severely disrupted, teams planning to relocate to Japan training camps are reconsidering, and pressure is building on the IOC to act. If the IOC do postpone, will there be knock-on effects on the WMG? A 6 month Olympics shift... maybe would not effect the WMG. But a 12 month shift would do the same to the WMG i.e. some sort of re-start?
B. The current shut-down of all archery in the UK (and I guess elsewhere in the world) must be having some impact on archers preparing for WMG2021. Or maybe not;
C. The current indefinite shut-down of international travel must be having some effect on registrations for the WMG...
D. anything I've missed???
My guess is that the WMG2021 Cttee will sit on their hands for a few months - until the situations on the pandemic and on the Olympics are clearer. They don't have to make any decisions now. But they will also probably not decide re expanding archery until they are confident they're going ahead?
 

clarke150555

New member
I have all but given up on being able to attend. Their organisation is terrible. Hotels at the venues are scarce. They seem to only want local participants. Why would I go?

World Archery are also next to useless. They hand over the World Masters Championship to these clowns, and then can't understand that the organisers have messed up. Typical clueless world body.

Crazy that the Olympics still haven't been cancelled. They would rather lose lives than lose face.......

Roll on the European Masters Games in 2023.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
The IOC have just announced that they'll decide in one month. They say:
Cancellation is "not on the agenda", said the IOC, but a 'scaled-down' Games will also be considered. However, postponement - by either several months or probably a whole year - is thought to be the most likely outcome
One year would blow the WMG away....
 

JohnK

Well-known member
I agree. If the Olympics is pushed to 2021, then the WMG will likely either be postponed as well, or even cancelled altogether.
 

Timid Toad

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Unlikely a year, though, as it will clash with the major world athletics champs; that's another huge 4 yearly event with even bigger sponsorship.
 

JohnK

Well-known member
Pushing later in the year will be difficult because of the seasons. I understand those people who play with funny shaped balls had some trouble when they went to Japan last year experienced that.

Postponement is going to be hugely expensive and problematic, and not just because of clashes with other events. It's an awful situation for the people involved.

And I really do think this is going to have a big impact on the WMG. Still, maybe when (if?) it's finally held again they'll have sorted out the lack of archery spaces.
 

JohnK

Well-known member
Statement from WMG committee on their FB page:

"The World Masters Games 2021 of the public interest foundation will be held as usual from may 14, 2021 at the kansai organization committee. It will be held in the same year due to the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and paralympic games, but we will be able to take a look at the effects of the related organizations, competitions, etc.

"We are going to have a good discussion with the International Masters Games Association (Imga), competition organizations, etc. For the opening policy of the assumed meeting."

Well.

I've been in regular contact with someone at the IMGA about the WMG situation for archers. I haven't heard from him in a while, as no doubt they have other priorities right now. However, I might drop him a line soon to see whether there's any news.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
BREAKING NEWS: it seems the WMG 2021 has just been indefinitely postponed.
Hard to be sure, given the opaque Japanese translation, but this is what the 2021 Organising Cttee have just announced:
Policy on holding the “World Masters Games 2021 Kansai”
At its Board meeting held on 28 October, WMG 2021 Kansai Organising Committee decided its policy to postpone the Games to the time which is considered to be the most appropriate time to hold the Games. This policy will be proposed at the IMGA General Assembly on 4 November.

Am I interpreting this right?
 

Timid Toad

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Not quite:
What they have said is that the Japanese committee met today and agreed they had to postpone. The IMG meets on the 4th November and this is what they have resolved to take to that meeting. They are hoping to get a new date proposed then.
What they have done at this point is recognised the difficulties of age groups, travel etc for current and waiting list entrants, and they need to address this.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
BREAKING NEWS: 13:43 29-OCT-20
The World Masters Games 2021 Kansai has been postponed

The IMGA World Masters Games Kansai 2021 are being postponed due to the global pandemic Covid-19
After careful discussions with all parties involved the conclusion of postponement of the Games has been reached. Like everybody, we are very disappointed there will be no World Masters Games in May next year.
Now, we focus on looking into the best possible options for rescheduling the event.
We hope to be able to bring you more news in the nearest future.

The 2025 World Masters Games are awarded to Taiwan!
We’re delighted to announce that we have awarded the 2025 World Masters Games to Taipei and New Taipei city in Taiwan.
Taiwan will look to build on the continued growth of Masters sport in the region as it welcomes the eleventh edition of the Games in 2025.

Well.. the good news is that I’ll be in the 70+ cohort when it finally goes ahead (if it had gone ahead in 2021 as planned, I would still have been in the 60-70 group, by 2 days). And the 70s group has a LOT fewer archers than the 60s group. Whether I’ll be able to shoot a decent round is an entirely different matter.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
Not quite:
What they have said is that the Japanese committee met today and agreed they had to postpone. The IMG meets on the 4th November and this is what they have resolved to take to that meeting. They are hoping to get a new date proposed then.
What they have done at this point is recognised the difficulties of age groups, travel etc for current and waiting list entrants, and they need to address this.
Yes, you’re right. In the WGM Kansai website they say, low down in the text “We will propose that to the International Masters Games Association (IMGA) at its General Assembly held on November 4th.” But then they send out this unambiguoius email - and link to the main website which is pretty emphatic. Chance of going ahead next year in Japan.... 5%?
 

JohnK

Well-known member
I'd basically given up on Kansai anyway. The organisation seems shockingly bad, and they clearly weren't interested in ensuring a good balance of competitors from other nations or including barebow archery.

For now, I'm going to start planning for the EMG in 2023, and then wait to see what Taiwan can offer.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
Guys,
FYI, I've just sent the following message to World Archery, and to the IMGA, both in Lausanne:
Re the World Masters, Kansai, Japan, 2022.
Are World Archery/IMGA pressing the organisers to increase the number of places for archery to 600 for both Indoors and Outdoors?
There are hundreds of frustrated archers out here on the waiting list for Kansai - which was fully subscribed within hours of opening last February. Many who were with me in the last WMG in Auckland are unable to get a place at Kansai. The spaces were too few even before it was merged with the World Archery Masters. And (overall, archery numbers unavailable) 91% of successful entrants were Japan citizens – due to registration start time favouring Japan.
There were 288 archers at Auckland (113 from NZ, 74 from Aus, 101 from Rest Of World).
The WA Masters in 2018 in Lausanne had 323 entrants
So, if Kansai were to accommodate all the WA Lausanne archers (323), plus all the RoW archers in Auckland (101), plus a strong local presence (say... 150), they would need capacity of around 600 for Indoors and the same for Outdoors.
 

Senlac

Supporter
Supporter
ALERT!!
This just came in via email in Japanese (!)so translated via Google Translate. Note the apparent imminent dealdine for new entries. Par for the course in this chaotic WMG?

Currently, the implementation guidelines for each competition are being updated (schedule, venue, etc. may change) and will be announced on March 1, 2021 (Monday).
From the same day, we will stop accepting new applications, confirm the intention to participate in the competition again for those who have already applied for participation in the competition, and then start securing participation slots. Details will be announced on the date of publication.
(Resumption of new reception is scheduled from May to June.)
(We will separately inform you of the work schedule of the competition event that is not updated in time for the announcement date.)
 

Timid Toad

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As usual the English version arrives minutes after.
It makes sense that the organisers have to confirm availability of venues over the chosen dates - an in the case of archery, the possibility of expanding numbers. Then they need to check with all current entrants to make sure they are happy to continue with the new dates and venues. In order to make this easier they are suspending the entry system to the WMG. This of course is irrelevant to archery as it is currently full. Not the case for all sports.
Once they have established those who wish to withdraw either because they aren't happy with safety or dates they will contact those onthe waiting list.
Seems like a sensible and well thought out plan for working through a difficult situation to me.
 
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