The Department of Defense Warrior Games Cancelled, Again

The Department of Defense Warrior Games Cancelled, Again

The 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games have been canceled due to the COVID-19 Delta variant.

requirement to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our service members and local communities as the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to affect the country.

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth made the decision to cancel the 2021 games in consultation with senior Army leaders, medical professionals and key stakeholders to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved.

“I want to thank all of the athletes, staff personnel and our partners for their hard work to prepare for this year’s DoD Warrior Games,”

said Wormuth.

“It’s unfortunate we are unable to hold the Games, but our first priority must be the health and welfare of everyone involved. The entire DoD understands the importance of the Warrior Games to the athletes and their families, as part of their recovery process, which makes this decision even more difficult. The Games are an important event for the DoD community. We look forward to resuming them next year if public health conditions permit.”

The Warrior Games, originally scheduled to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida from September 12th – 22nd, is the second consecutive year the event has been cancelled. It is a series of competitions between wounded, ill and injured service-member athletes from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force and Special Operations in adaptive sports that includes sitting volleyball, powerlifting, cycling, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, golf, precision air sports, swimming, indoor rowing, archery and track & field.

“We were so much looking forward to participating in The Warrior Games as a recovery modality – as were all the athletes and staff,”

said Steven Munatones of KAATSU Global.

“I cannot imagine how disappointed they must feel. But we will continue to support these athletes and their colleagues through our various KAATSU Recovery programs.”