Pandemic-delayed World Games open in Birmingham a year late

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A global athletic competition is starting in Birmingham, Alabama, after a yearlong delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The opening ceremony for the World Games 2022 is set for Thursday night at Protective Stadium. It will kick off 10 days of competition in nearly 40 sports around the metro area with more than 3,600 participants from about 100 nations. Events include non-Olympic sports including sumo wrestling, gymnastics, pickleball, martial arts and tug of war. Some competitions already have been held. Hundreds of people turned out in Oxford east of Birmingham for exhibition games featuring the USA Softball Women’s National Team.