The Invictus Games will take place in Düsseldorf this year. Soldiers with physical or mental disabilities from several countries come to the sports event founded by Prince Harry to compete in sports.
What are the Invictus Games?
The Invictus Games are an international sports event in which physically and mentally handicapped soldiers compete against each other in ten different sports. The aim of the organizers is to give the participants the opportunity to measure themselves in the competitions.
The name “Invictus“, Latin for “invincible“, is intended to reflect the fighting spirit of the participants and show that they have the motivation to continue with their lives despite traumatic setbacks.
When and where are the Invictus Games held?
The sixth Invictus Games will be held in Düsseldorf from September 9th to 16th, 2023. Venue is the “Invictus Games Park“, made up of the Merkur Spielarena, the adjoining Arena Sports Park and the Rheinbad indoor and outdoor pools.
Who can participate?
Only servicewomen and men from the 20 participating nations who are permanently ill, physically or mentally, during deployment or service are allowed to compete. Athletes are divided into different categories according to the degree of disability.
How did the Invictus Games come about?
The founder of the Invictus Games is Prince Harry, who has been dealing with the consequences of military operations for soldiers since his time as an officer in Afghanistan. The US Warrior Games, a US Department of Defense multi-sport event for the deployed wounded, injured or sick, inspired him to create the Invictus Games.
With the support of Boris Johnson, then Lord Mayor of London, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee and the UK Ministry of Defence, the inaugural Invictus Games took place in London in 2014. Follow-up competitions were held in Orlando (USA) in 2016, Toronto (Canada) in 2017, Sydney (Australia) in 2018 and most recently in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2022.
Former US President Barack Obama and Britain’s Prince Harry cheer in Toronto, Canada during the 2017 Invictus Games.
What role do Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan play?
As the initiator of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry will also be present at the games in Düsseldorf. His wife Meghan is also expected at the closing ceremony. According to a spokesman for the project team, she will moderate and present stories from participants and their families. The Duke of Sussex would then have the final words and pass the Invictus flag to the next organiser.
In which sports are there competitions?
Competitions include archery, weightlifting, track and field, cycling, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, rowing, swimming, sitting volleyball and table tennis. The latter will celebrate its premiere as an Invictus discipline in Düsseldorf.
Which nations are represented?
500 soldiers will represent 20 different nations, including Australia, France, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States. A German team will also be on site.
How is Team Germany set up?
Germany is represented by 30 men and seven women in eight of the ten sports. For the first time, athletes from the state and federal police and the fire brigade will also be there for the German team. The athletes are supported by a team consisting of trainers, supervisors and psychologists.
What is the program like?
The games will kick off with the invasion of the nations and a live performance by US rapper Macklemore. When the competitions have concluded and all medals have been distributed, there will be a closing ceremony as described, with performances by Meghan Markle and husband Harry. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is also scheduled to give a speech at the closing ceremony. There will also be an appearance by singer Rita Ora.
What else should you know?
The Federal Ministry of Defense is the patron of the games in Düsseldorf. The organizers are the Bundeswehr and the city of Düsseldorf. This makes the Invictus Games 2023 in Düsseldorf the first event to be held in cooperation between a military organization and a city.
The ambassadors of the event are Kathi Wilhelm, world champion and Olympic champion in biathlon and former sports soldier, Felix Streng, world champion and Paralympic winner with the 4x100m relay, and Stefan Huss, main sergeant and team captain of the Germans at the Invictus Games 2018 in Sydney.
Where to watch the Invictus Games 2023?
Admission to the on-site competitions is free. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost between 13 and 41 euros. The opening ceremony will be broadcast on TV at Phoenix on September 9th.