- More than 500 athletes from 25 countries competed at NEOM Beach Games across six weeks
- Sports included kitesurfing, triathlon, basketball, beach soccer and mountain biking
NEOM, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, December 19, 2022 – NEOM, the global development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia, has successfully wrapped up the NEOM Beach Games 2022 after hosting over 500 athletes from 25 countries. Between October 19 and December 9, NEOM witnessed thrilling competitions that received wide international media coverage.
The series of dynamic sport events commenced with freestyle kitesurfing on October 19, followed by an Olympic-level competition of short-course triathlon. Other events included 3×3 basketball and 5×5 beach soccer, the latter of which saw world champions Brazil secure both the men’s and women’s trophies. NEOM Beach Games concluded on December 9 with a desert mountain bike race that saw 220 male and females from around the world take part in the four-stage event, each athlete cycling 80-120 kilometers per day.
To ensure maximum global exposure, each sport federation participating at NEOM Beach Games had its own global live feed to broadcast the action. BBC screened the Super League Triathlon NEOM event, while Sport TV – the biggest sports channel in Brazil – broadcast the NEOM Beach Soccer Cup to a potential audience of over 200 million.
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, said: “NEOM Beach Games has been a milestone for NEOM and its success will help to further position the region as a natural hub for sport. Additionally, the Games saw Saudi athletes compete alongside fellow participants from 25 countries in triathlon, 3×3 basketball, beach soccer and mountain biking, reflecting NEOM’s role in providing opportunity for local talent to compete on the global stage.”
“We believe the ongoing collaboration between NEOM, the national federations and the rights holders of each sport will positively impact the national sporting ecosystem and we look forward to seeing more dynamic sport events take place in NEOM in the future.’’
To highlight NEOM’s capability as a host for major global sport events, three of the five rights holders that were part of the NEOM Beach Games chose the final events of their respective calendar seasons to be hosted in the region.
Joan Cusco, Beach Soccer Worldwide President, said: ”I believe we could host the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup here. Everything is set up, everything is ready, all the services are excellent. Everyone wants to help here and the people are so friendly, from the highest management to the people who are working on the doors and the ball boys and girls, and fans. It has been an amazing experience coming to NEOM.”
The popular Beach Soccer Worldwide, with an audience of over 250 million in 180 countries, was one of the federations to close its season in Saudi Arabia, delivering 24 exciting games over four days.
About NEOM
NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation.
NEOM will include hyperconnected, cognitive cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in groundbreaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity.
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