Editing World Games (section)

===Twentieth century===

After the inaugural Games, the West Nally Group, which had provided financing for the Games in Santa Clara, became owners of the rights to the event, and took the second edition to their headquarters in [[London]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=London, GBR 1985|url=https://www.theworldgames.org/editions/London-GBR-1985-6/summary|publisher=International World Games Association|access-date=13 May 2021|archive-date=30 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730064820/https://www.theworldgames.org/editions/London-GBR-1985-6/summary|url-status=live}}</ref>

For the third Games in [[Karlsruhe]], [[1989 World Games|1989]], the West Nally Group still owned the commercial rights to the Games, but the host city was responsible for the staff and volunteers organising the event. After this, the IWGA bought back the commercial rights, and the organising committees of the host cities have been responsible for the organisation and financing since. This led to the organisers of The World Games in [[The Hague]] ([[1993 World Games|1993]]) asking the participants to pay accommodation costs.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Karlsruhe, GER 1989|url=https://www.theworldgames.org/editions/Karlsruhe-GER-1989-7/summary|publisher=International World Games Association|access-date=13 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526160422/https://www.theworldgames.org/editions/Karlsruhe-GER-1989-7/summary|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[1997 World Games|1997 edition]] of the Games was due to be held in [[Port Elizabeth]], [[South Africa]], but in August 1994, Port Elizabeth pulled out of hosting the Games due to the [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|political situation in the country]].<ref name="Lahti">{{cite web|title=TWG 1997 Lahti, FIN|url=https://www.theworldgames.org/editions/Lahti-FIN-1997-9|publisher=International World Games Association|access-date=13 May 2021}}</ref> [[Lahti]] in [[Finland]] volunteered to host instead and signed the host contract in January 1995. [[Air sports|Airsports]], [[dancesport]], [[Aerobic gymnastics|aerobics]] and [[Jujutsu|jujitsu]] made their debut in Lahti and have been contested at the Games ever since.<ref name="Lahti"/>

Following the Games in Lahti, the [[International World Games Association|IWGA]] and [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] agreed on a memorandum of understanding, which was signed in 2000<ref name="Lahti"/><ref>{{cite web|title=IOC and IWGA Sign Memorandum of Understanding|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-and-iwga-sign-memorandum-of-understanding|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=14 May 2021|archive-date=17 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017233629/https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-and-iwga-sign-memorandum-of-understanding|url-status=live}}</ref> Here, the IOC recognised the importance of The World Games and set out shared values, including the IOC providing patronage to Organising Committees, encouraging multi-sport national teams, and working together on anti-doping. It also set out that "disciplines/events of sport that are not on the Olympic Games program could be included on the program of the World Games".<ref>{{cite web|title=Memorandum of Understanding between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International World Games Association (IWGA)|url=https://www.theworldgames.org/files/Governing_Documents/MoU%20IOC%20-%20WGA.pdf|publisher=International World Games Association|access-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526160426/https://www.theworldgames.org/files/Governing_Documents/MoU%20IOC%20-%20WGA.pdf|archive-date=26 May 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> A further memorandum of understanding was signed in 2016.<ref name="MOU">{{cite web|title=Memorandum of Understanding between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International World Games Association (IWGA), 2016|url=https://www.theworldgames.org/files/Governing_Documents/MoU%20IOC%20-%20IWGA%202016.pdf|publisher=International World Games Association|access-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170718112412/https://www.theworldgames.org/files/Governing_Documents/MoU%20IOC%20-%20IWGA%202016.pdf|archive-date=18 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>