POSTED: Saturday August 28th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SportAccord World Combat Games: The stage is set

Beijing, Aug 28: Tonight is the kick off for the inaugural SportAccord World Combat Games. The Opening Ceremony starts at 8 pm local time in the Beijing National Indoor Stadium.

The SportAccord World Combat Games feature 13 martial arts and combat sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic; among them are Aikido, Boxing, Judo, Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, Muaythai, Sambo, Sumo, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Wushu. The objective is to promote the ancient sports and bring them closer to a worldwide audience.

"We are very excited," says Hein Verbruggen, President of SportAccord. "Our experienced Chinese hosts managed all preparations with great dedication and professionalism. Tonight, the 15.000 seats will be completely filled. We anticipate a fascinating show and a great atmosphere. All 1108 athletes will participate, except those who are in competition, and it is going to be a memorable occasion for everyone." Additionally, distinguished guests such as movie star Jet Li, ambassador for Wushu during the Combat Games, will contribute to the spectacle.
The first competitions started already in the morning, with Wushu, Judo, and Sumo. Antonio Espinos, Chairman of the SportAccord World Combat Games: "I attended the opening of the Sumo competitions and I am very impressed by the high quality of the fights. The International Federations embraced this opportunity and really sent their top athletes to compete in these Combat Games."

Tonight, the world will also know who will be the first champion of the World Combat Games as the first finals in Sumo and Wushu stage already this evening. Live results and the schedules of the following days can be followed on http://www.worldcombatgames.com.

For further information:

http://www.worldcombatgames.com
http://www.youtube.com/thesportshub
http://www.twitter.com/combatgames
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sportaccord-Combat-Games/113093988718129
http://www.beijing2010.org

About SportAccord:
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for 104 International Sports Federations and Organisations. Its mission is to support and to protect the common interests of the sports movement. Activities include the online video portal Sports Hub, the organisation of multi-sports games, doping-free sport, and sports social responsibility.

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Keywords · Opening Ceremony · Hein Verbruggen · Combat Games · Martial Arts · Beijing · 2010 · Jet Li · Aikido · Judo · Karate · Kendo · Kickboxing · Sambo · Sumo · Taekwondo · Wrestling · Wushu · Hein Verbruggen · SportAccord · Sportaccord

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Name: Iwona Lapinska
Organization: SportAccord
Email:
Phone: +41 (0)21 612 30 70
URL: http://www.sportaccord.com

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