Museum Of World Athletics Opens its Doors in Budapest

Hungary will host one of the most important sporting events in its history, the World Athletics Championships, from 19 to 27 August. Almost four months before the start of the event, a fantastic exhibition opened at Etele Plaza in Budapest. The Museum Of World Athletics (MOWA) is the largest and richest athletics exhibition in the world, presenting the 40-year history of the World Championships through an interactive journey, reports Magyar Nemzet.

Photo: Facebook Museum of World Athletics

The opening ceremony was attended by World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon, who expressed his gratitude to Hungary for hosting the event. Anita Márton, World Indoor Champion and Olympic bronze medalist in weight throw, Krisztián Pars, the hammer throw champion of the 2012 London Olympics, World bronze and European silver medalist Bence Halász, and World bronze medalist in hurdles, Balázs Baji, also appeared during the launch.

Photo: Facebook Museum of World Athletics

Balázs Németh, organizer of the championships, said that with the exhibition, the most important sporting event of 2023, and in general the third largest in the world after the Summer Olympics and the World Cup, has already arrived in Budapest.

I would like to hear at the closing ceremony of the World Championships the one sentence that every organizing committee dreams of but very few ever hear, namely that this was the best World Athletics Championships ever,

said Németh.

Photo: Facebook Museum of World Athletics

This wish was shared by some of the most prominent figures in Hungarian athletics, who will enrich the exhibition with their own relics. Anita Márton’s personal belongings, Bence Halász’s Doha World Championships bronze medal winning team number, Balázs Baji’s spike shoes, Krisztián Pars’ throwing gloves and medals can also be seen at Etele Plaza in Budapest.

At the opening ceremony on Friday, Miklós Gyulai received the International Federation’s posthumous Heritage Plaque for his outstanding coaching career from Mihály Iglói Ridgeon. Iglói has himself coached a number of world record holders and Olympic medal-winning athletes. The exhibition is open until the last day of the World Championships in Budapest.