The Pan-American Games and European Games Locations Have Been Announced
With the new year on the horizon, the IQA (International Quidditch Association) has announced the final locations for the Pan-American Games and European Games! After the IQA researched into each of the shortlisted locations, teams now know exactly where they will be competing for their respective crowns.
The Pan-American Games will officially take place in Richmond, Virginia, in July 2019. This occasion will mark the first time these games have ever been held, but it is hoped that the success of the 2014 Global Games will be repeated with national teams from across North, South, and Central America coming to compete.
US Quidditch executive director Sarah Woolsey spoke of her excitement at bringing together so many teams to compete, particularly those without the well-established quidditch community that the United States has fostered.
One of the things that makes our sport so unique and dynamic is our community, and USQ looks forward to helping to bring together players from across the Western Hemisphere to meet and compete against one another in this unique event. This event has been the result of several years of discussion with other NGBs, including Canada, Mexico, and Peru. We thank them for their work to make this event a reality.
The Pan-American Games are being hosted in partnership with US Quidditch and Richmond Region Tourism, and according to Andy Marmer, interim executive director of the IQA, it was their work that really amazed the IQA.
The group we met in Richmond impressed us with the caliber of sporting events they have hosted; and their passion and enthusiasm for bringing quidditch to Richmond. We have long admired USQ and everything it has done to grow the sport.
The Pan-American Games may not be the only hosting honor that Richmond receives. Glover Park, where the Pan-American Games will take place, is also in the running to host Major League Quidditch’s 2019 championship while Richmond also put in a bid to host the IQA World Cup!
Across the Atlantic, the location for the European Games was revealed as Bamberg, Germany, and will take place on June 29–30, 2019, at Fuchs-Park Stadium. This will mark the third occasion for the games, with the UK winning in Oslo, Norway, in 2017 and France in Sarteano, Italy, in 2015.
Marco Ziegaus, gameplay director at Deutscher Quidditchbund (Germany’s regional quidditch authority), stated his excitement at the chance to host such an elite event.
We think it’s the perfect location to host EG, Bamberg being situated very centrally in Europe, with lots of dedicated and experienced volunteers in the area, and we plan on convincing you of the same through our organisation of the tournament.
Germany, although not Bamberg, was the site of the 2016 IQA World Cup, and the team hopes to replicate its success with the European Games.
Further information about the games for teams, fans, and volunteers will be made available soon, so be sure to keep an eye on the IQA website!
Which of the games are you most excited about?
