1998 Goodwill Games Questions and Answers

1998 Goodwill Games
Questions and Answers
What are the Goodwill Games?

The Goodwill Games are an international, multi-sport invitational competition uniting the world's best athletes. The Games feature athletes from around the world and are held every four years.

What is the purpose of the Goodwill Games?

The purpose of the Goodwill Games is to showcase the world's best athletes in a major international, multi-sport competition, while benefiting children.

How does the Goodwill Games "benefit children"?

The Goodwill Games believes helping children is an investment in the world's future and involvement in sports is an excellent life experience for children. To help achieve its mission, the 1998 Goodwill Games will be working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to develop appropriate programs and activities.

Where and when are the Goodwill Games held?

The 1998 Goodwill Games are in the New York (N.Y.) metropolitan area, concentrated in Manhattan and on Long Island. Previous Games have been held in Moscow (1986), Seattle, Wash., USA (1990) and St. Petersburg, Russia (1994). Future Games may be hosted at sites outside of the United States and Russia.

What are the plans for the next Goodwill Games?

The 1998 Goodwill Games are July 19 - August 2 in the New York metropolitan area. The sports program will feature 15 sports, with approximately 1,300 athletes from more than 60 countries competing. The competition venues are located in Manhattan and on Long Island.

Who is organizing the 1998 Goodwill Games?

The Goodwill Games are hosted through a combined effort between Goodwill Games, Inc. and the participating sports federations, in conjunction with the appropriate state, city and county governmental agencies. Goodwill Games, Inc., a division of Turner Sports, is responsible for all aspects of the event.

Are New York City and Nassau County involved?

As the host sites, the governments and agencies of both areas are involved in the event's planning and organization, as well as with ancillary activities.

What is the format of Goodwill Games competition?

The Goodwill Games format features finals-only competition in individual events, eliminating heats and preliminaries. Champions in the team events and in boxing are determined through elimination rounds, culminating in a gold-medal match. Each competition is conducted in accordance with each sport's international rules.

Is prize money awarded at the Goodwill Games?

For the first time in Goodwill Games history, a $5 million purse for prize money and record/performance incentives will be awarded. This is the largest purse ever for a multi-sport event. The prize money is being offered as a reward for the athlete's achievements in the Games. The prize money breakdown for each event is coordinated with the participating federations and will be announced at a later date.

How are the sports chosen for the Goodwill Games?

Sports are selected based on popularity in the host city and country, as well as international popularity, marketability and staging costs.

Why has the number of sports changed from past Games?

The sports program has always varied in size. The Goodwill Games sports program is designed to feature the most popular sports, with proven television marketability.

How is athlete eligibility for the Goodwill Games determined?

Any competitor or team competing under international federation rules in a participating sport is eligible on an invitational basis. Invitations to competitors and teams are extended based on world rankings and/or performances at the Olympic Games, world championships and other major international competitions. Invited competitors must be members in good standing of their national federation, and that federation must be a member in good standing of its international federation.

Who extends invitations to compete in the Goodwill Games?

Following international protocol and procedure, the respective national federations of the host country are responsible for extending invitations to athletes and teams to compete in the Games.

What is the total operating budget for the Games?

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS) policy prohibits revealing or discussing overall financial information. We have a realistic budget for staging a successful event.

What is Goodwill Games, Inc.'s goal for the Games?

Goodwill Games, Inc.'s goal is to stage a successful event. The Games use the following criteria to measure the overall success of the Goodwill Games—increased exposure and awareness of the Games and TBS as a company, both domestically and internationally; high-quality and entertaining television programming; world-class competition, featuring dramatic and compelling athletic moments; well-run, well-attended event; and meeting the goals for benefiting children and supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs. The Games are an investment for TBS, with criteria for success that match the goals and objectives of the company.

How does a host city benefit from hosting the Goodwill Games?

Using the experience of the first three host cities (Moscow, Seattle and St. Petersburg) as a guide, a host city benefits in the following ways:

worldwide exposure of the city's economic and cultural opportunities;

the economic impact of thousands of visitors to the city in addition to the normal tourist trade;

increasing future tourism as a result of the Games extensive media coverage;

increasing future international business opportunities as a result of the Games' extensive media coverage;

establishing the host city as a potential site for additional international sports and business events;

improving sports venues, transportation systems, telecommunications systems and other infrastructure;

providing a means for the host city's population to anticipate and build city pride.

What is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s (TBS) role in the Goodwill Games?

Goodwill Games, Inc., a subsidiary of TBS, is responsible for all aspects of the Games. For 1998, Turner Sports is the host broadcaster for the Games, and TBS Superstation the host network. TBS is a Time Warner company.

Who will be televising the Games?

TBS Superstation will televise 45 hours of prime-time coverage of the 1998 Goodwill Games. CBS, the Games U.S. broadcast partner, will televise 10 hours of weekend, afternoon coverage. In addition to appearing on TBS and CBS, boxing will be televised on HBO as a part of the HBO After Dark series. Turner Sports is the host broadcaster and is coordinating all aspects of the production. Warner Bros. International Television Distribution is selling the International broadcast rights for the Games.

Are any changes to the Games under consideration?

The Goodwill Games, like all similar events, are constantly evolving and growing. At the conclusion of each Games, Goodwill Games, Inc. evaluates the event to see what, if any, changes would further improve future Games.

Why were the Goodwill Games created?

The Goodwill Games were created in response to the United States' absence from the 1980 Olympic Summer Games and the Soviet Union's absence from the 1984 Olympic Summer Games. The Games' founder, Vice Chairman of Time Warner, Inc. R.E. Turner, envisioned a worldwide sports competition uniting athletes from the United States, Soviet Union and the rest of the world in an atmosphere free from political pressures to promote peace and mutual understanding through sport. The inaugural Games were held in Moscow in 1986.

With the changes in the former Soviet Union and the former Eastern bloc, is there still a need for the Goodwill Games?

Since the Games were inaugurated 10 years ago, the world's situation has changed dramatically, overcoming the forces that initially led R.E. Turner, the Games' founder and vice chairman of Time Warner, Inc., to conceptualize and host the Goodwill Games. As the world has changed, so have the Games. The Goodwill Games have re-defined "goodwill" as benefiting children. Helping children is an investment in the world's future, and involvement in sports is an excellent life experience for children.

What is Russia's role in the Goodwill Games?

Russia is one of the leading powers in international sports, and its athletes have won the majority of Goodwill Games medals since the Games' inception. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) supports the participation of its athletes and federations, and the ROC's Goodwill Games Directorate facilitates and coordinates the participation of Russian athletes.