Metro Roundup: 2021 World Games CEO Nick Sellers said event will put city on world stage

Drone Racing. Korfball. Canoe Polo. Fistball.

You may have never heard of any of these sports. But when the World Games comes to the Magic City next year — July 15-25, 2021 — you’ll have a chance to see these sports and more at venues located throughout the Birmingham metropolitan area.

Nick Sellers, CEO of the 2021 World Games Birmingham, is certainly excited about the event.

“This is going to be a big deal,” Sellers said during his remarks at a Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon in February. “It gets my blood pumping when I drive under the Red Mountain Expressway and I see that countdown clock.”

The World Games are a prestigious event, he said.

They are recognized by the International Olympic Committee, some of the sports were previously in the Olympics or will be in the future, and the athletes who will compete in this event will travel to Birmingham from all over the world, Sellers said.

This event will put Birmingham in a global spotlight for 10 days and make an approximately $256 million impact on the economy, he said. The forecasted attendance is over 500,000 people.

Birmingham competed for this opportunity against Russia and Peru. The last time the United States hosted the World Games was almost 40 years ago when Santa Clara, California, hosted the inaugural World Games event in 1981.

“You only get so many opportunities to put yourself and your communities on an international stage,” Sellers said. “It’s a better than average chance that it’s not going to be back at least in my lifetime.”

The World Games Plaza will be located at Railroad Park. The events at Railroad Park — the bands, the Athlete’s Night event and other activities — will be open to the public for free, Sellers said. The opening and closing ceremonies will be at Legion Field, and guests will purchase tickets to attend these events.

This will be the first time in the history of the World Games that there will be adaptive sports, Sellers said.

“It’s hard to fathom this — but it’s true — this is the first time in global history,” he said. “The Olympics has paralympics, and that’s separate. We will have adaptive sports as part of the World Games here.”

Many of the people who attended the luncheon probably haven’t heard of many of the World Games sports, he said.

“Korfball — y’all, that’s one of the biggest sports in the Netherlands,” Sellers said. “I’ve never heard of it either. It’s like a soccer ball with an 11-foot basketball goal.”

There will also be kickboxing, men’s and women’s sumo wrestling, parachuting, finswimming and more.

“There will be a little something for everybody,” he said.

There will be event sites all around the metro, including the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, the Spare Time bowling alley in Trussville, Oak Mountain State Park, the BJCC, Barber Motorsports Park and Sloss Furnaces, he said.

Sellers was named CEO in December, replacing DJ Mackovets, who resigned the position.

He brings a strong background in both corporate management and sports and event production to the job.

The Birmingham native has served as an executive in various positions with Alabama Power and Southern Company for the past 16 years.

He served as director of operations for the Alabama Sports Foundation, which presents major events such as the SEC Baseball Tournament and the Regions Charity Classic professional golf tournament.

Sellers is the chairman of the Alabama Sports Council, where he oversees events such as the Magic City Classic and the Davis Cup Tennis Invitational.

Sellers also said area residents have a chance to get involved directly in staging the World Games.

The event will need approximately 2,000 to 2,500 volunteers, and the recruitment effort launches in April.

“We are a huge event town,” he said. “We know how to show up for something big and special, and I would say maybe nothing is bigger than this going forward. So we need you.”

“This really is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Sellers continued. “If there’s ever a chance to really lean in and be a part of something special, this is it. And I just want to encourage everyone to get involved. We want you involved, and we need you involved to make this the World Games in history.”

Tickets will cost about $15-20 per event, he said. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale April 15 and tickets will go on sale for the general public across the globe July 15, which is one year before the event’s start date.

For information, call 205-846-2500 or go to theworldgames2021.com.