Flagship Program
Excel & Host
Program Goal
"Strengthen athlete pathways and event hosting capabilities."
Despite mass participation, the ISSA’s member countries encounter challenges in maximizing their potential in athlete performance and hosting major events. The ISSA aims to ensure its members participate and excel across a broad spectrum of sports and events.
Excel & Host is designed to elevate competitive excellence and enhance mega event hosting capabilities among the ISSA’s members.
Challenges were identified in:
- Lack of high-quality, internationally recognized multi-sport events for elite athletes to compete at high standards
- Insufficient existing infrastructure in many ISSA member countries
- Limited engagement and investment in youth programs
The international sports arena has undergone significant changes with rising competition, enhanced performance standards, technological advancements and the increasing prominence of global sporting events.
Projected impact
Excel & Host builds a robust framework for athlete development, knowledge exchange and capacity building in event management, ensuring ISSA members are well-equipped to meet the evolving demands of the international sports arena.
The program consists of three components:
Athlete development and high-performance enhancement
Capacity building for mega event hosting
Knowledge exchange and collaboration platforms
ISSA members' Olympic medals
91
at Rio 2016
77
at Tokyo 2020
84
at Paris 2024
91
at Rio 2016
77
at Tokyo 2020
84
at Paris 2024
Benefits of hosting major events
By fostering an environment where more ISSA member countries can successfully host major events, the ISSA promotes health, education and sustainable development, and contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 05 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduce Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption & production patterns)
Specific benefits include:
Economic impact
Global recognition and soft power
Sports and infrastructure development
Legacy and community engagement
Get Involved
Join us in advancing equity in sport across the ISSA’s
membership. Your support makes a difference
