Latest news with #InvictusGamesFoundation
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Daejeon announced as host contender for 2029 Invictus Games
South Korea's central city of Daejeon was officially announced as one of the six world cities that would compete to host the 2029 Invictus Games, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. The city, located some 135 kilometers south of Seoul, was shortlisted by the Invictus Games Foundation alongside Aalborg, Denmark; Veneto Region, Italy; Abuja, Nigeria; Kyiv, Ukraine; and San Diego. Daejeon is home to the country's second National Cemetery and a veterans hospital and has infrastructures such as a sports stadium, a convention center and accommodations needed for hosting the Games, according to the veterans ministry. South Korea is the only Asian country to have submitted Expressions of Interest to host the 2029 event. If the 2029 event is held in Daejeon, it would mark the first-ever Invictus Games in Asia. 'The veterans ministry will cooperate with the city of Daejeon and the Korea Disabled Veterans Organization in making efforts to host the 2029 Invictus Games, which is a place of challenge and harmony for veterans, for the first time in Asia,' Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai said in a statement. The host city will be officially selected and announced in the summer of 2026, the ministry said. South Korea has participated in the Games since 2020, when the event was held in the Netherlands' western city of The Hague. This year's Invictus Games were held in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 6-17. More than 550 athletes from 23 countries, including 11 South Korean nationals, participated in this year's event. Founded by Britain's Prince Harry in 2014, the Invictus Games is a multinational sports competition for wounded, injured and sick service members. It became a biennial event in 2023 after being held irregularly.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Ukraine bids to host Harry's Invictus Games in 2029
Ukraine is among the countries bidding to host the Invictus Games in four years' time. The sporting competition, founded by the Duke of Sussex, has received six expressions of interest in staging the tournament in 2029, including one from war-torn Kyiv. Other cities and regions which have put forward proposals are: Aalborg in Denmark; the Veneto Region in Italy; Abuja, Nigeria; Daejeon, South Korea; and San Diego in the US. The Invictus Games Foundation acknowledged the 'complex ongoing geopolitical challenges' facing Ukraine, but said it had submitted a 'compelling' proposal. Harry made a surprise trip to the country, which has endured an ongoing conflict with Russia for the past three years, in April to show support for injured veterans in an orthopaedic clinic in Lviv. The Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to certain parts of Ukraine including the capital, Kyiv. The foundation said: 'Notwithstanding the complex ongoing geopolitical challenges, Ukraine has submitted a compelling EOI (expression of interest) for hosting a future Invictus Games. 'With a demonstrable pressing need and powerful rationale for an internationally collaborative approach, Kyiv emphasises its legacy of hosting major international events and its commitment to using the Games as a platform for innovative recovery and rehabilitation services for its veteran population.' It said a multi-ministerial commission would oversee planning and delivery. Natalyia Kalmykova, Ukraine's veterans affairs minister who was introduced to Harry during his trip, said: 'Sport is a key function in veterans' healthcare. 'It's thanks to our relationship with Invictus that we established, and continue to develop, the role of sports in recovery in Ukraine and why it's included in the veteran policy strategy.' The bidding cities were unveiled on Tuesday at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of the Host and Federations Summit, an annual gathering of sport rights holders, destinations and industry experts. Rob Owen, chief executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, said it was a record number of bids. He added: 'We look forward to working with each of these locations over the coming year to develop fuller propositions with the recovery of international wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans at their heart.' Birmingham won the bid to host the Invictus Games in 2027. Harry founded the sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans, which takes place every two years, in 2014. The Italian proposal suggests a winter-summer hybrid Games, following the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, across the Veneto Region in Verona, Padova, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and with a closing ceremony in Venice. The South Korean option would see the Games hosted in Asia for the first time, while the Nigerian proposal would lead to the first-ever Invictus tournament in Africa. Shortlisting will take place later this year and the selected host will be unveiled in summer 2026.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry says 'bring on Birmingham' as Invictus Games 2027 dates confirmed
The dates that Prince Harry's Invictus Games will come to Birmingham have been confirmed - after he teased his potential return to the UK for the event. The Games will run from 10 to 17 July 2027 and will be based entirely at the NEC apart from the swimming, which will be held at Sandwell Aquatics Centre. The event, the eighth edition, will feature wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans from around the world for the eighth. Competitors will take part in nine core sports, with three new additions - e-sports, pickleball, and laser run. READ MORE: Pub near Birmingham named one of the 'best looking' in the UK by CAMRA READ MORE: Riddle of dad's disappearance solved as human remains identified READ MORE: Teen raped schoolgirl then told her it was 'stupid' in Facebook message 'We are thrilled to officially announce the confirmed dates for Invictus Games Birmingham 2027,' said Helen Helliwell, CEO of Birmingham 2027. 'These Games will shine a light on Birmingham's incredible community spirit and the West Midlands' strong commitment to supporting the recovery and rehabilitation of our Armed Forces community.' This year's Games were held in Canada. Harry marked his address at the event by saying: "Bring on Invictus Birmingham 2027. You have permission to party!" That was seen by some as Harry teasing his return to the UK, having suffered strained relations with his family since stepping back as a full-time working Royal. Rob Owen, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, said: 'Birmingham is a unique and vibrant city and it's wonderful to have the dates set. "This will be the eighth Invictus Games and the return of the Games to the UK, in a city that has been a focal point of healing for so many members of the wounded, injured or sick service and veteran community. "As the Invictus Games Foundation recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary, we've been looking ahead as to what the next ten years of recovery will look like for the community, and we know Birmingham 2027 will be a beacon of hope for so many in recovery.' The Invictus Games will bring significant social and economic boost into Birmingham -attracting thousands of visitors, creating jobs, and showcasing the city's hospitality, culture, and innovation on the world stage. Local communities will be engaged through extensive outreach and participation initiatives in the run-up to, and throughout, the Games. Selly Ok MP and veterans' minister Al Carns said: 'With the dates set, Birmingham stands ready to deliver an Invictus Games worthy of those injured while bravely serving their country, whose unbreakable spirit and determination to overcome mental and physical challenges inspires us all. "In July 2027, I invite the world to Birmingham to witness these remarkable people first hand and understand what it truly means to serve, sacrifice, and prevail'.
Sky News AU
10-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Final Invictus Games report reveals Prince Harry's signature charity in the black ahead of 2027 Birmingham Games
Prince Harry has released hard financial figures for this year's Invictus Games for the first time, including major grants from the Canadian government to stage the event. Harry helped set up Invictus in 2014 as an Olympics-style international sporting event for injured and wounded service men and women across the globe. The first ever winter edition of the Invictus Games took place in Whistler and Vancouver in February this year and featured athletes from 23 different countries. On Monday, Invictus unveiled its long-awaited impact report for the Canada games which showed Harry's charity was firmly in the black. 'A Lasting Legacy, a Substantial Economic Impact and Hundreds of Lives Saved!,' the organisation announced in a statement via Instagram on Monday. 'The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 officially closes and the final report has been released.' The post listed several hard figures designed to reflect the sustained financial health of Invictus, which arguably remains Prince Harry's most successful initiative. Among the stats, the 2025 Invictus Games included a $5.5 USD million legacy fund for the continued rehabilitation of wounded serving members and veterans in Canada. The full report, which is available via the Invictus Games Foundation website, features other information about the games, including three generous government grants. The Games overall had a $63.2 USD million balanced budget, including $15 USD million in funding from the Canadian government and a further $15 USD million in funding from the provincial government of British Columbia. According to Invictus, the charity was given a second, smaller $750,000 donation from the B.C government to provide adaptive sporting equipment. The Games generated a whopping $28.4 million USD in corporate and individual donations, likely as a direct result of Prince Harry's royal star power. Invictus also generated about $4.8 USD million in revenue from healthy ticket and merchandise sales from the event. All up, the charity managed to stage the entire event - which attracted global media interest - within the allocated budget. Meanwhile, the estimated 'economic impact' of the games on the host nation Canada was pegged at a whopping $81.1 million USD. The next edition of the Invictus Games is set to take place in 2027 in Birmingham, marking the event's return to Harry's native United Kingdom for the first time since the inaugural London games. The update comes months after the Duke of Sussex resigned from serving as patron from the charity Sentebale after the charity's chair slammed the Sussexes publicly. Founded in 2006, Sentebale was created by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV status, a cause championed by Harry's late mother Princess Diana. However, Harry, 40, issued a statement in April announcing he'd resigned from the role as the charity's patron "until further notice" amid alleged internal tensions with Dr Chandauka. Dr Chandauka has since publicly accused the Duke of Sussex of 'harassment and bullying at scale' in a bombshell interview with Sky News UK, claims the ex-working royal has denied.
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How Meghan Markle really feels about Prince Harry's royal rift
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have different perspectives about their rift with the royal family. A source told People Thursday that while Markle is focused on the future and 'is very business' about the couple's fallout with Harry's relatives, Harry, 40, is stuck in the past. 9 King Charles, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in England on Christmas Day 2017. Getty Images The insider claimed that Markle wishes her husband would 'feel less burdened by the past' and focus on their life together. Markle and Harry have been estranged from his family since they quit royal life in 2020 and moved to the US. 9 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the Invictus Games in 2020. Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation 9 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Beyoncé concert. Instagram/@meghan 'They're aware of everything going on in England, but they're being left out of the details — there's clearly no trust,' the source told People about the couple. The Post has reached out to Buckingham Palace and reps for the Sussexes for comment. Harry has a particularly bad relationship with King Charles, 76, at the moment, after saying that his father 'won't speak' to him in his explosive BBC interview last month. 9 Meghan Markle, King Charles and Prince Harry on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour 2018. Getty Images A palace insider recently told The Post that the cancer-stricken monarch 'simply doesn't trust Harry' because of the interview, which took place after Harry lost his appeal to maintain tax-payer funded security detail in the UK. 'There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family,' Harry said in the May 2 interview. 9 King Charles and Prince Harry at the 'Our Planet' premiere in London in April 2019. Samir Hussein/WireImage 9 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Germany in 2023. Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation 'Some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book,' Harry further shared, referring to his 2023 memoir 'Spare,' adding, 'Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things.' 9 King Charles in Canada on May 27. Getty Images The Duke of Sussex also declared that he 'can't see a world' where he'd bring Markle and their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, back to England because of the court's decision. However, Harry still said that he 'would love' to reconcile with his family. Harry is also feuding with his brother Prince William. 9 Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in 2022. Getty Images The siblings were both at their father's coronation when he officially ascended to the throne in May 2023, but they reportedly avoided one another. Then, in August 2024, William, 42, and Harry were said to have 'kept their distance' once again while attending a memorial service in Norfolk for their late uncle, Robert Fellowes. After Harry's bombshell BBC interview, a source told Us Weekly that William is 'done' with his brother. 9 William and Harry interacting during Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022. 'When he becomes king, everybody thinks the divide will become even wider,' the source added of the Prince of Wales. Markle, for her part, has not spoken about the royal family drama in any of her latest projects, which include a Netflix lifestyle series and a new podcast. The 'Suits' alum hasn't been in the UK since Queen Elizabeth's funeral in Sept. 2022.
