APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – The town of Appleton has been selected to host a world championship sporting event in early December.

The World Ax Throwing League (WATL) and World Knife Throwing League (WKTL) will hold their 2022 World Championships from December 1-4 at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center.

WATL and WKTL are the leaders in their sport with a roster of over 20,000 players, and this event is expected to be the biggest. “This will be our biggest event yet, and the skill level of our top throwers is amazing, you really have to see it in person to experience it,” said the World Ax Throwing League commissioner. , Mike Morton.

More than 1,000 competitors and fans from around the world are expected to travel to downtown Appleton to watch the four-day event. The event will also be broadcast live, with Sunday’s finals airing on ESPN.

“Hosting the World Ax and Knife Throwing Championships in Appleton is truly an incredible honor for everyone involved,” said Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We anticipate the event will generate over $500,000 in direct visitor spend for area businesses, as well as significant media value.”

Events include:

This will be the 6th Annual WATL World Ax Throwing Championship and the 2nd Annual WKTL World Knife Throwing Championship.