The encyclopedia · Finance & Accounting · Financial decision · 2019–2023
Bali quit the World Beach Games a month out — no time to save them
The second World Beach Games were due in Bali in August 2023; on July 4 the host withdrew because the budget never came, and ANOC cancelled the whole event.
ANOC · Bali 2023 Local Organising Committee · 2023-07
What happened
The ANOC World Beach Games were meant to be the multi-sport event for everything played on sand or sea: the first edition ran in Doha in 2019, and the second was set for Bali, Indonesia, on 5–12 August 2023 — 14 sports, from beach soccer and surfing to 4x4 beach volleyball, with athletes from about 100 national committees already qualified.
On 4 July 2023, one month out, the Indonesian Olympic Committee withdrew: the government had not released the Games' budget, leaving no way to deliver them. ANOC said it received the news with 'great surprise and extreme disappointment' — the organisers had attended a coordination meeting only the week before without raising the problem. With four weeks left, there was no time to move an event of that size to another host.
The Games and the ANOC General Assembly were both cancelled, leaving qualified athletes from around 100 countries with nothing to attend. The next edition was later scheduled for Da Nang in 2027 — four years after the last Games actually happened.
Why it happened
- The host committee committed to a Games whose budget the national government never actually released.
- ANOC planned on the organisers' assurances until a month before the start — no fallback host existed.
- With around 100 NOCs already qualified, no window was big enough to relocate a multi-sport event.
The lesson
Bali promised; the budget never left the government's accounts; a month out the whole event was cancelled. Athletes from 100 countries had qualified for a Games that no longer existed.
Aftermath
ANOC rescheduled the next World Beach Games for Da Nang 2027.
Sources
- ANOC, July 2023 — Bali withdraws from commitment to host 2023 ANOC World Beach Games (the Indonesian Olympic Committee withdrew on 4 July 2023 because the Indonesian government had not released the necessary budget, leaving insufficient time to deliver the Games; ANOC expressed 'great surprise and extreme disappointment', noting KOI had given regular assurances and attended coordination meetings as recently as the prior week; the General Assembly was cancelled alongside the Games; ANOC apologised to athletes, NOCs, IFs and fans)
- The Straits Times, 5 July 2023 — World Beach Games nixed after host Bali pulls out (the 2023 ANOC World Beach Games were cancelled after Bali withdrew about a month before the scheduled start; the Local Organising Committee withdrew because the Indonesian government did not release the budget; ANOC said there was no option but to cancel because the short notice left insufficient time to find a replacement host; athletes from 100 qualified NOCs were denied the opportunity to compete; second edition after the inaugural Doha 2019 Games; 14 sports including beach and watersports)
- Wikipedia — 2023 World Beach Games (scheduled 5–12 August 2023 in Bali as the second edition after Doha 2019; programme of 14 sports/disciplines including aquathlon, beach handball, beach soccer, beach tennis, 4x4 beach volleyball, beach water polo, beach wrestling, wing foiling, open water swimming, air badminton, beach sprint rowing and surfing; about 100 NOCs expected; the Indonesian Olympic Committee withdrew on 4 July 2023 because the government had not released funding; ANOC cancelled the Games for lack of time to find a replacement host; next edition indicated as Da Nang 2027)
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