In light of the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, the Board of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, along with the Invictus Games Foundation, are forced to conclude that organising the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, can no longer take place as planned from 9 to 16 May 2020.
We are now investigating all options to reschedule the Invictus Games, subject to the availability of key facilities and resources, to May or June 2021. Significant planning to scope and confirm this option is underway.
This decision was taken in consultation with the participating nations’ teams and in close coordination with local and national authorities to limit the impact of the pandemic on all parties involved in the delivery of, and particularly participation in, the Games.
The decision was also taken in recognition of the anticipated strain on medical staff and the infrastructure required in dealing with the pandemic. We did not wish to add to the complexity of the response, or increase the risk to those involved, by bringing together an international and potentially vulnerable audience.
All parties involved in organising and participating in the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, including the competitors and their loved ones, the volunteers, the organisers, partners, sponsors, and its suppliers, are all facing the current impact of the pandemic. As a result, the organisation of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 has become impossible.
Competitors from the 20 nations involved have been hard at work training for these Invictus Games as part of their recovery process. However, the safety and wellbeing of these wounded, injured or sick Servicemen and women, and their friends and family, is paramount.
We know that not holding the Invictus Games this May will be disappointing news to the whole Invictus Family, and to all of those involved in the planning and delivery of the Games. We are very appreciative of the continued support of those who have been and continue to be involved in the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, and we remain committed to the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women.
The current situation is complex and evolving rapidly. Work is now being undertaken with the teams, partners, and suppliers with a view to delivering a successful Invictus Games in 2021. Tickets will be refunded and ticket holders will be contacted in due course.
Further statements will be released when more details can be confirmed.
Mart de Kruif, Chairman of the Invictus Games the Hague 2020, said: “The Coronavirus and its effects are part of a global pandemic which will influence every public event in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we find ourselves in a clear situation which left us no other choice than to reschedule the Invictus Games to the year 2021. By doing this, we also bring clarity to those vulnerable competitors and their loved ones, a clarity which is so desperately needed in their journey to recovery.”
Conny Wenting, CEO of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, said: “Just 50 days before the event was due to start, we are taking the right decision in protecting everyone involved by not raising the Invictus Games flag in The Hague in May 2020. We as a team tried our utmost to find a new date in 2021 ready for this statement. We are still trying to find the best possible solution for next year amidst the busy landscape of other events currently trying to reschedule.”
Dominic Reid, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, said: “We know that those training to compete and represent their countries will be disappointed, but we also know that for The Hague to deliver a safe, exciting and impactful Games, the wait until next year will be worth it. All competitors who were selected by their nations to take part in the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 will receive their medallion from the Invictus Games Foundation later this year in recognition of their resilience, their commitment to their training, and as an acknowledgment of their journey to recovery through sport.”
