World Games 2009
Motto Top Sports – High Spirits
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| Host city |
 Kaohsiung, (Taiwan)IWGA Designation:  Chinese Taipei
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| Motto | Top Sports – High Spirits | ||
| Nations participating | 105 | ||
| Athletes participating | 4,800 approx. | ||
| Events | 35 sports | ||
| Opening ceremony | July 16, 2009 | ||
| Closing ceremony | July 26, 2009 | ||
| Officially opened by | President Ma Ying-jeou | ||
| Main venue | Kaohsiung National Stadium; called World Games Stadium during the Games | ||
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The World Games of 2009 took place in Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan - under the name Chinese Taipei), from July 16, 2009 to July 26, 2009. The games featured sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games.
Nearly 6,000 athletes, officials, coaches, referees and others from 103 countries participated in the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games, setting a record high for the multi-sport competition. The International World Games Association (IWGA) President Ron Froehlich praised the July 16–26 games as the "best games ever."
The design of the emblem for the World Games 2009 is based on the first Chinese character in the city’s name. The character " kao" (高) means high or superior in English. The toponym stylized as a multicolored ribbon aims to create an atmosphere of festivity and celebration. The warm colors, orange and magenta, at the top and green and blue at the bottom symbolize the sun rising over the ocean and mirror Kaohsiung well: a passionate city with plenty of sunshine – a vibrant metropolis by the sea.
Gao Mei (高妹) and Syong Ge (雄哥) are named after the host city, Kaohsiung (according to Tongyong Pinyin). They are intended to personify it as "a city of the sea and the sun", to emphasize "ecology and environmental protection", and to symbolize the "friendliness and hospitality" of the city's residents.
The opening ceremony, on July 16, was held in the Main Stadium, and involved 4,000 performers. It was designed to provide "a platform for the world to understand Taiwan better", and focused on music, dancing and depictions of Taiwanese culture, including its aboriginal culture. The ceremony was watched by an estimated 100 million people worldwide.
Among the foreign dignitaries in attendance was the President of Nauru, Marcus Stephen, one of Taiwan's diplomatic allies and himself a former athlete, having won seven gold medals in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games.
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