FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2021
The 2021 National Senior Games presented by Humana has been postponed to 2022.
Due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, and out of an abundance of caution, the National Senior Games Association (NSGA) Board of Directors has voted to postpone The Games to late spring of 2022 in Greater Fort Lauderdale. In ongoing conversations with Broward County authorities, it was agreed best to not hold the National Senior Games in November 2021 as originally scheduled.
The new dates are May 10-23, 2022.
The NSGA Board also expanded the qualification rules for athletes to allow their state competitions in 2021 to also count towards qualifying for the rescheduled Games. Normally, qualifying takes place in even numbered years for the next National Senior Games, held in odd numbered years. Click here for complete qualifying information and rules.
“We are the largest qualified multisport championship competition in the world, so deciding to make changes with such a massive event was difficult,” NSGA CEO Marc T. Riker said. “However, in consultations with our host region and with our association members and athletes, it became clear that having several more months of economic recovery and time for the pandemic to subside made postponement the obvious decision for all.”
“We remain excited and ready to safely host the National Senior Games in Greater Fort Lauderdale and all around Broward County,” said Mike Sophia, Vice President of Sports for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our 23 miles of golden beaches, a wide variety of hotels and great restaurants, along with some great sports venues are awaiting the arrival of the athletes in 2022.”
In 2019, The National Senior Games held in Albuquerque set an all-time participation record with nearly 14,000 athletes competing in 20 sports over a two-week schedule, with an estimated $35 million economic impact. Riker noted it is a monumental planning task to coordinate venues and dates under normal planning conditions, but he said the organization doesn’t have to start over, reporting that NSGA staff has made rapid progress to reconfirm venues and dates.
NSGA Board Chair Jack Shinnock said the organization’s guiding principle is to act in the best interests of the athletes, Members, partners and staff. “By moving the dates back, COVID fears should be greatly reduced and more athletes will be comfortable with travel and participation,” he said. “Postponement also gives our host area more time to recover and return to normal life, and the market will be much more receptive and capable of supporting a major event. This will result in high quality Games hosted by a welcoming community.”
The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) is a nonprofit Multisport Council member of the United States Olympic Paralympic Committee that promotes health and wellness for adults 50 and over through education, fitness and sport. Since 1987, NSGA has governed the biennial National Senior Games, the largest multi-sport championship event in the world for seniors. The Association is comprised of 53 independent Member Games that conduct qualifying competition events. For more information, please visit NSGA.com.
NSGA Media Contact:
Del Moon
