Lakeland Gears Up for the 2026 Alberta Winter Games: 'Our Community Won't Let It Fail'
2025-12-11
Lakeland Connect reported on preparations for the 2026 Alberta Winter Games and the scale of the event facing the Lakeland region. The article said the Games will run February 13-16, 2026, with Bonnyville, Cold Lake, and Glendon sharing hosting duties, and that more than 2,300 young athletes and coaches are expected alongside an estimated 5,000 family members and spectators. Games Manager Violet Lapointe cited a tally of 2,353 athletes and coaches, and the story said the Games will feature 18 events, including several hosted outdoors at Kinosoo Ridge and Murray Lake. It described accommodation pressure and said schools in Bonnyville and Cold Lake will serve as athlete villages, and it noted a plan to use local caterers for athlete meals. A major theme was the volunteer shortfall: the article said organizers need 1,500 volunteers and were only around one-third of the way there at the time. It also mentioned the ATCO Torch Relay culminating at Imperial Oil Place in Cold Lake and an ATCO community barbecue scheduled for January 15 at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre.
The countdown is on to the 2026 Alberta Summer Games
2025-03-03
Strathcona County marked the 500-day countdown to the 2026 Alberta Summer Games with a kickoff event alongside the Strathcona County 2026 Alberta Summer Games Society. The county confirmed it will host the 25th Alberta Summer Games on July 16-19, 2026, and said around 5,000 participants are expected to take part in the competitions and festivities. The release listed 13 sports scheduled for the Games: athletics, basketball, baseball, beach volleyball, canoeing/kayaking, golf, lacrosse, mountain biking, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, and tennis. It said competition will be spread across multiple venues, including Centennial Park, Millennium Place, Broadmoor Lake Park, Ardrossan Recreation Complex, Emerald Hills Sports Pavilion, Broadmoor Public Golf Course, Broadmoor Tennis Club, and Druids Rugby Club, with additional sites at Rundle Park in Edmonton and West River's Edge in Fort Saskatchewan. The county also unveiled host branding featuring a bison and the phrase 'Charge ahead', and pointed readers to the Games website for notifications about volunteering, merchandise, and sponsorship.
Diario Libre: Dominican Republic unveils Santo Domingo 2026 logo and positions Games as tourism platform
2024-02-08
Diario Libre covered the official unveiling of the logo and visual identity for the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games, describing it as the moment the Dominican Republic started the countdown toward hosting in 2026. The report says the branding and graphic line were designed by branding specialist Silvia Molina and presented at an evening event attended by President Luis Abinader, organizers, athletes and former athletes, business leaders, and public officials including Santo Domingo mayor Carolina Mejia. It notes that the Dominican Republic has prior hosting experience with the Central American and Caribbean Games and other major multi-sport events. Organizing committee president Jose Monegro told attendees the Games could draw about 100,000 visitors and contribute roughly $300 million to the Dominican economy, while also serving as a platform to promote the country as a tourism destination and highlight its culture and hospitality. According to the article, Abinader committed government support for staging the event and ordered repairs to existing sports facilities and urban improvements around key sports zones such as the Olympic Center and Parque del Este.
Japan considers entry rules for North Korean athletes seeking to compete at Nagoya 2026 Asian Games
2025-09-18
Japan will consider whether North Korean athletes can enter the country for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya after North Korea expressed an intention to take part, Reuters reported on September 18, 2025. Reuters noted that Japan has banned North Korean citizens from entering since 2016 over nuclear and ballistic missile concerns, and that the two countries have no diplomatic ties. At the same time, Japan has allowed North Korean athletes to visit for international sports events. The report said Kyodo News cited a source familiar with the matter as saying North Korea intended to send about 150 athletes to compete in 17 events at the Games scheduled for September 19 to October 4, 2026. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the organising committee had consulted Japan's sports ministry about participation, and that the government was considering the request through consultations across multiple ministries. Reuters also noted that North Korea competed at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, winning 11 gold medals and 39 medals overall.
Giochi Mediterraneo: Abodi, rispettato cronoprogramma dei lavori
2025-12-18
In ANSA's report on a site visit in Taranto, Italy's Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi says the works connected to the Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026 are progressing in a way that respects the commitments already made. ANSA describes Abodi's inspection of construction sites for facilities intended for the Games and says the visit reviewed the current state of works and the next organizational steps. Abodi is quoted as saying the advancement respects agreed timelines and that collaboration should continue in compliance with rules. On accommodation for guests on cruise ships, he says they are waiting for a definitive decision by the Italian Navy, while adding that the technical conditions are in place. Abodi says that once the framework is clarified, a market selection procedure can begin for an operator, and he also underlines his coordinating role in helping conditions for agreement between the organizing committee and the international committee. He adds that he expects the organizing committee to generate the resources needed to complete the overall economic framework.
2026 Alberta Summer Games - Call for entries - Giftware
2025-10-30
A posting by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts highlighted a call for artist and artisan submissions connected to the 2026 Alberta Summer Games in Strathcona County. The notice said the county was seeking handmade or artist-designed items that would be used as gifts to thank and recognize key contributors to the Games. To keep contributor recognition consistent, it explained that each selected artist or artisan would be responsible for producing a single item type, with only minor variations allowed. In practice, this means the county is looking for a repeatable, well-made gift item that can be produced as a consistent set rather than one-off pieces. The posting listed a deadline of January 16, 2026 and specified a submission deadline of 8:00 am MST. It also set expectations for production timing, stating an approximate 17-week production period after selection. The call framed the work as part of Games planning and recognition and encouraged interested artists and artisans to submit proposals through the outlined application process.
Black Jack Ski Club Breaks Ground on New Four-Season Day Lodge Ahead of Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games
2026-01-22
Rossland's Black Jack Ski Club has broken ground on a new day lodge as part of its preparations for the Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games. The club says the fully accessible lodge will be about 2,750 square feet and is expected to open before the Games, when Black Jack is scheduled to host cross country skiing and biathlon. The story frames the building as a legacy project that grew out of several years of planning, fundraising, and design work, including a push to upgrade basic infrastructure like running water, indoor washrooms, storage, and heated space. It notes the club used the operational pause during the COVID-19 pandemic to refine its long-term strategic plan and then accelerated fundraising after Trail and Rossland were named Winter Games hosts. Local builder DJM was selected for the construction. Beyond the Games, the lodge is described as a year-round community asset, supporting off-season events and gatherings, with views over the Black Jack stadium and Red Mountain.
Reuters: MMA set for Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 as OCA retains cricket on programme
2025-04-30
Mixed martial arts (MMA) will make its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Reuters reported on April 30, 2025, citing an Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) statement. Reuters said MMA will feature in six events and be classified as a discipline under contact sports, alongside ju-jitsu and kurash. The report described the addition as part of a broader pattern of programme changes, noting that esports were introduced as medal events at the COVID-delayed Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. Reuters added that cricket will remain in the 2026 programme, with the OCA saying the venue would be in Aichi Prefecture but the exact location had not been decided. The story said interest would be high because of cricket's popularity in South Asia and because the T20 format will be included at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Reuters also recalled criticism of cricket's return in Hangzhou, including lopsided matches and a rain-hit men's final that was decided on rankings, and noted Nagoya will be the third Japanese host city after Tokyo 1958 and Hiroshima 1994.
Panam Sports publishes 2026 calendar listing South American Games Santa Fe 2026 for September 12-26
2026-01-06
Panam Sports published a 2026 sports calendar that spotlights the XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026 alongside other major events including the FIFA World Cup and the Central American and Caribbean Games. The post frames the calendar as a guide to an extremely busy year of world, Pan American, and regional championships, and notes that many will be broadcast live by the Panam Sports Channel. It then provides a month-by-month listing so fans can track dates across sports and disciplines. In the September section, the calendar explicitly lists 'September 12-26: XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026', placing the Games among a cluster of late-season global events. The article positions the South American Games as one of the standout multi-sport competitions of the year and directs readers to mark key dates in advance so they can follow coverage and plan viewing around the schedule.
CityNews Kitchener: Tourism data and planning spotlight the 2026 Ontario Summer Games as a major draw
2026-01-22
A CityNews Kitchener report on Waterloo Region tourism figures highlights the 2026 Ontario Summer Games as a major upcoming driver of visitors. The article cites Explore Waterloo Region data showing around 5 million visitors came to the region in 2024, generating $829 million in economic revenue. For 2025, it says early indicators from January through July were up 2 per cent compared with the same period the year before, and the summer months saw a 5 per cent year-over-year boost. Explore Waterloo Region CEO Michele Saran told CityNews that some of the jump reflects more Canadians staying in the country amid political tensions between Canada and the United States, and she said expanded GO train service in effect since November helps attract leisure visitors from the GTA. The story also points to staples like St. Jacobs Farmers Market, the Kitchener Blues Festival, Lumen, the Christkindl Market, and Oktoberfest, and it notes the June Call of Duty Championships brought about $6 million in economic impact. Looking ahead, Saran said planning is 'all-men-on-deck' for the Ontario Summer Games, with 23 sports, about 4,200 athletes, and an estimated $6 to $8 million economic impact.