“These Games have shone a spotlight on the unconquerable character of servicemen and women, their families and the invictus spirit”. These words of Prince Harry of Great Britain, who is the patron and driving force behind the Invictus Games, sum up the ideal of the Invictus Games Foundation. “The Invictus Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wide understanding and respect for the wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women”
The Invictus Games Foundation was set up to develop this legacy and to be responsible for selecting the hosts of all future Games, and to oversee the delivery of the Games.
The Successful Orlando Games
The inaugural Invictus Games was held in London in 2014. The second Invictus Games were held in Orlando, Florida, in the USA. 2017 will see the Games held in Toronto, Canada from 23 to 3 September, and it has already been announced the 2018 Invictus Games will be held in Sydney Australia. The Games in Orlando were a great success, featuring 485 competitors from fourteen nations, taking part in ten different sports. The track and field events were the most popular, and there were sixty two events held. Four hundred and ten medals were won by competitors. The Invictus Games in Orlando were held over seven days, in seven different venues, and attracted nearly fifty six thousand spectators.
The success of the Orlando Games was due to the city’s outstanding sporting facilities, great infrastructure and also in a great part due to the interest taken in the event by Michelle Obama and Dr Jill Biden.
The Games are run like the Paralympic Games, with many events in common. There is wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball, there are multiple swimming events, and a wide array of athletic events.
Sports Betting Gives Numerous Choices
For many years people have been betting on the outcome of different sporting events. There are so many different sports people now take part in, or follow, or just sit at home and watch on television, that the array of wagers you can place is almost infinite. There is the simple type of bet, such as betting on the winner of a certain football match, to wagering on the smallest detail of some unusual sport. Modern sport betting can be done online, through australia online betting sites or sports book at an online casino, and this type of wagering on sports has increased greatly in recent years. Care should be taken in the choice of online betting sites, and care should also be taken to find out everything possible about the participants you wish to place a wager on, as well as the rules and regulations of the sports or games involved. Being able to speculate on the outcome of all different sports online, at your convenience, gives everyone a great deal of freedom to indulge in this hobby.
The 2017 Games
The next Invictus Games in Toronto will feature more than 550 competitors, and the number of participating nations has increased to 17. Ukraine and Romania have joined the nations who will take part. Canadians expect the Opening and Closing ceremonies, with some of the world’s most famous performers, to even exceed the impressive ceremonies that took place at Orlando, Florida this year.
The world is beginning to celebrate the following aim of the Invictus Foundation, according to Prince Harry – The Invictus Games seek to change perceptions of physical and mental injury, and to break down the barriers like post traumatic stress as well as the barrier of physical injury.
