Hungary hosts inaugural World Urban Games

This September brought with it the inaugural edition of the World Urban Games, with Budapest hosting the tournament between the 13th and 15th of September.

The games see participants compete in a mixture of eight unique sports, ranging from BMX freestyle to breaking (dancing) to laser run, in what their website calls “the ultimate celebration of new-generation sports.”

It was Victor Montalvo who came out victorious in the men’s breaking competition, whilst Ami Yuasi impressed the judges in front of her to win the women’s tournament.

The weekend was not only about who won and lost, however, as there was dazzling entertainment taking place from Friday to Sunday in the Hungarian capital.

With the tournament’s website stating that the flying disk freestyle event offers “the basic game of throw and catch with aspects of gymnastics, dance, martial arts, and other physical disciplines,” you can tell that the games are centred around creativity and athleticism.

Freestyle events seem to be a popular choice in the World Urban Games, with both BMX and rollerskating also on offer. The skills showcased by Hannah Roberts and Brandon Loupos won them the BMX competition, whilst it was Roman Abrate and Misaki Katayama who emerged victorious in the roller freestyle.

Competitors flocked from all over the world to take part in the event, with some of the world’s best in their respective sports, proving why they are at the top.

Matej Srovnal’s lighting paced final run of 21.92 in the parkour event and Navarro Stefanny’s blistering 14.54 meant they left the weekend on the top of their fields.

With basketball also on offer, some sporting normalcy may appear to have been resumed. Yet, with just three players on each side playing on a half court with one hoop, the game is completely different from what we see in the NBA.

With just 12 seconds to score before the ball gets handed over, you can see why this version of basketball is the most popular urban sport in the world.

All in all, the 2019 World Urban Games were a huge success. Athleticism, creativity, imagination, and pure fun were laid out for all to see in a weekend of true sport.