Tickets on-sale now for inaugural all-women’s sports and entertainment festival to be held at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, August 20-25, 2019
ALBANY, N.Y.; – The Aurora Games, the inaugural all-women’s sports and entertainment festival, will celebrate the world’s second most popular sport with a table tennis exhibition on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 in Albany, NY.
The addition of table tennis will augment six days of competition in women’s gymnastics, figure skating, tennis, basketball, ice hockey and beach volleyball, organizers of the Aurora Games announced today in partnership with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The Aurora Games will feature more than 175 of the world’s most accomplished, professional female athletes during a spectacular week of team competition at the Times Union Center in Albany on August 20-25, 2019.
“The addition of table tennis, which was one of several sports to inquire about being included in the Aurora Games, reinforces the strength of the concept of an all-women’s sports platform and bodes well for the future when we hope to add new sports,” said Aurora Games Executive Producer Jerry Solomon. “Table tennis is hugely popular around the world and will bring some great action to the FanZone where people will also be able to experience photo ops and demonstrations by the athletes, sponsor activations, food and more. I expect that the crowd around the table tennis court will be rocking at the final match on Sunday.”
“The International Table Tennis Federation is excited to have table tennis included in this groundbreaking event,” said ITTF Marketing Director Matt Pound. “For athletes from the United States and around the world to share a stage with Olympic and World Champions confirms the massive appeal of women’s table tennis to a global audience. We applaud the Aurora Games organizing committee and athletes for their foresight and vision in creating such a prominent platform to showcase the significant impact of women in sports, entertainment and culture – and look forward to fans from around the world cheering on our athletes.”
The table tennis exhibition will be held in conjunction with the Aurora Games FanZone at the Albany Capital Center. Attendance is free with a ticket to the Aurora Games. The Aurora Games FanZone will feature music, athlete meet and greets, food and entertainment throughout the six-day competition.
Fans may purchase tickets exclusively to the FanZone for $10 at Ticketmaster.com. A limited number of reserved seats for the table tennis exhibition are also available for purchase.
Individual session tickets for the Aurora Games are on-sale at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets range in price from $15 to $129 and include admission to the FanZone. Children may qualify for half-price tickets.
The Aurora Games will showcase athletes from over 20 countries who have earned more than 100 Olympic and World medals. They will compete under the umbrella of Team Americas versus Team World as they contend for the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Trophy, the official trophy of the Aurora Games. Didrikson Zaharias was named the “Greatest Female Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century” by the Associated Press for her achievements in multiple sports, including golf, basketball, baseball and track and field.
Earlier this month, the Aurora Games announced that 2019 Indian Wells women’s singles champion and tennis phenom Bianca Andreescu of Canada will represent Team Americas in the Aurora Games.
Andreescu joins a growing list of world-class athletes who have committed to participating in the Aurora Games, including reigning tennis Olympic singles Gold Medalist Monica Puig from Puerto Rico and U.S. Open and Olympic doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Team World will be led by 2017 Wimbledon champion and 2016 French Open champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain.
The roster of confirmed participating athletes also includes: Lindsay Whalen (Basketball, Player/Coach Team Americas); Ashley Wagner (Figure Skating, Team Americas); Michele Timms (Basketball, Coach Team World); Haley Skarupa (Ice Hockey, Team Americas); Susanna Tapani (Ice Hockey, Team World); and Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes (Beach Volleyball, Team Americas).
Additionally, the following players who are participating in the 2019 Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship this month have committed to the Aurora Games:
- United States: Hannah Brandt
- Finland: Isa Rahunen, Venla Hovi, Annina Rajahuhta, Susanna Tapani
- Switzerland: Laura Stadler, Nicole Bullo
- Sweden: Rebecca Stenberg
- Germany: Jennifer Harss, Tanja Eisenschmid
- Japan: Akane Hosoyamuda, Haruka Toko
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee and five-team Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci will serve as honorary team captains. Joyner-Kersee, an American track and field icon, will lead the athletes representing Team Americas. Comaneci, the legendary Romanian gymnast, will guide those competing for Team World.
Group sales and VIP Experiences can be reserved by contacting Carrie Berger at (617) 688-6128.
For sponsorship information, contact Karen Scott Happer at [email protected].
The official hotel of the Aurora Games is Hilton Albany, located approximately .2 miles from the Times Union Center at 40 Lodge Street in downtown Albany. Aurora Games guests can save on overnight stays by using code 5AGCB when securing reservations by phone at 1-866-691-1183 or online at https://bit.ly/2U2n1mC.
For up-to-date information about the Aurora Games, visit AuroraGamesFestival.com or follow the Games on Twitter @AuroraGamesFest.