CLEVELAND — The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission's planning of the 2024 Pan-American Masters Games is in full swing -- and the event is expected to be "the largest international gathering in the city’s history."
The organization held a press conference on Tuesday morning to celebrate the event, which you can rewatch in the video player below.
The Games, previously announced in March 2021, "is a flagship event of the International Masters Games Association (IMGA)."
More than 7,500 athletes and thousands more spectators from around the world are expected to attend the event, which features up to 30 medal-contending sport competitions across Northeast Ohio.
The local economy will benefit from this world-class event, with organizers projecting a boost of more than $18 million.
Cleveland will host the Games in the summer of 2024.
Tuesday's press conference was attended by the following local and state politicians and leaders:
- David Gilbert, President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
- Mayor Justin Bibb, City of Cleveland
- Shontel Brown, U.S. House of Representatives (OH-11)
- Armond Budish, Cuyahoga County Executive
- Jens Holm, CEO, International Masters Games Association
- Ansir Junaid, Chair of LOC, Co-chair of The Junaid Family Foundation and Chairman of SupplySide USA
- John Telich, former sportscaster, masters athlete
"Since 2000, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) is responsible for attracting over 210 sporting events which provide more than $830 million in economic activity to Northeast Ohio," the release said.
Further explaining the Master Games, GCSC said this:
"The International Masters Games Association (IMGA) is the world governing body for Masters sport who organizes the World Masters Games, the largest multi-sport event for Masters athletes. Founded in 1995 to support the Olympic movement and ‘sport for all’ philosophy, IMGA is a non-profit organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee."
To learn more about the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, click HERE.
For more on the International Masters Games Association, click HERE.
Editor's Note: The following video is from an unrelated story.
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