AIA's Presence at Global Events

Athletes in Action covered the globe in 2006 with a presence at nine global sporting events. AIA staged grand outreach projects at these events, their sole purpose to communicate the gospel with those athletes present. Brief highlights from a few of the events are below:

•  South American Games, Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 7-18, 2006: Over 500 Bibles and JESUS film DVDs were given to athletes and coaches. Some AIA staff members and volunteers met three track athletes from Venezuela, communicated the gospel and all three indicated placing their faith in Christ.

•  Winter Olympics, Torino, Italy, February 11-26, 2006: More than 500 JESUS Film DVDs and 200 Sport New Testaments were given to athletes. AIA staff members met one of the most well-known female skiers in history. For one hour she expressed a need for God to be a part of her life, even postponing media interviews to continue the conversation.

•  World Cup of Soccer, Berlin, Germany, June 9 - July 9, 2006: AIA staff members from Poland, Mexico, Ivory Coast, Togo and the U.S. served at the event that featured 800 athletes. Because of a malfunction with air-conditioning in a train, the Mexico team was forced to switch cars. The car they were placed in was the one carrying an AIA staff member, who had prayed for an opportunity to meet the team.

Other international events and locations where AIA had a presence were the Africa Cup of Nations (Cairo, Egypt), Central American and Caribbean Games (Cartagena, Colombia), and Asian Games (Doha, Qatar).

Ten global sporting events are targeted for evangelistic outreaches in 2007. AIA will have a presence at the World University Games (Thailand), Pan American Games (Brazil), Rugby World Cup (France) and Tour of California (U.S.-cycling), just to name a few.