Prince Harry has unveiled a new international adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured, and sick military personnel and veterans, scheduled to take place in Perth, Australia, this October.
The Duke of Sussex made the announcement during a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, following the traditional Last Post service.
The Invictus Australia Sports Festival will bring together competitors from three nations: Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.
Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh attended the event, which was hosted by Paralympian Paul Nunnari.
Prince Harry has unveiled a new international adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured, and sick military personnel and veterans, scheduled to take place in Perth, Australia, this October.
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The festival represents an expansion of the Invictus movement, offering additional competitive opportunities beyond the main Invictus Games, which take place every two years.
Energy company ATCO will serve as the presenting partner for the inaugural festival, which aims to harness the therapeutic benefits of competitive sport for those recovering from service-related injuries and illness.
The event is designed to extend the reach of the Invictus movement by creating more frequent regional opportunities for veterans to participate in adaptive sports.
Beyond the competition itself, organisers plan to establish an observer programme for other nations in the Asia-Pacific region seeking to develop their own sports-based recovery initiatives for military personnel.
The Invictus Games Foundation, which Prince Harry established in 2014, currently operates across 25 nations through its biennial Games and ongoing rehabilitation programmes.
The Duke of Sussex made the announcement during a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, following the traditional Last Post service.
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Rob Owen OBE, chief executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, described the festival as “an exciting step forward in our mission to provide year-round opportunities for recovery through sport.”
He added: “By creating more regular, regional opportunities for competition, we can reach and support even more members of our community. We are deeply grateful to ATCO and Invictus Australia for their partnership in bringing this vision to life, and to Invictus Germany for providing the blueprint.”
Lisa Cooke, ATCO’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership.
“We’re thrilled to build on ATCO’s longstanding support for military communities by being the presenting partner of the first Invictus Australia Sports Festival,” she said, noting the company had witnessed sport’s power to help veterans “recover, build resilience and feel connected.”
Glenn Keys AO, chairman of Invictus Australia, welcomed the opportunity to stage the first festival in Perth.
“This event will not only provide meaningful competitive opportunities for our own veteran community, but also strengthen regional connections and share best practice in sports recovery,” he said.
The next Invictus Games will be staged in Birmingham in 2027, with the 2029 host city to be announced in July this year.
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Keys highlighted research showing that sport could positively address 34 of the 122 findings from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
“It’s more important than ever that we continue to work closely with our allies to advance support for our veterans and families, and learn from one another,” he stated.
He expressed anticipation about receiving both participants and observers at what he termed “this landmark event.”
Invictus Australia has grown into the country’s foremost charity connecting the defence community with sport since emerging from the Sydney 2018 Games, engaging nearly 30,000 veterans and their family members in activities at home and abroad.
The organisation serves Australia’s 581,000 veterans and their relatives, promoting sport as a tool for managing physical, social and emotional wellbeing during the transition from military service.
The next Invictus Games will be staged in Birmingham in 2027, with the 2029 host city to be announced in July this year.
Australia has submitted an informal expression of interest to host the 2031 Games, one of four nations to do so ahead of the formal bidding process opening next year.
The Duke of Sussex current Australian visit is unconnected to that bid.