Athletes from every Australian state and territory, many countries in the Asia Pacific region, and as far away as North America and Europe will descend on Melbourne from January 30 to February 3 for the first ever Asia Pacific Outgames. And according to Outgames Co-President Peter Sagar, Melbourne is ready.
‘The preparations are going really well. We’re excited about welcoming participants from Perth and all the rest of the Asia Pacific. I’m sure there are sleepless nights to come and adrenaline days, but everything is on track and on schedule.’
Peter Sagar went on to say that the Outgames had over 1,000 registered participants and that the 12 sports on offer – badminton, dancesport, hockey, lawn bowls, rowing, running, squash, swimming, ten pin bowling, tennis, volleyball and water polo – were ‘achieving and exceeding their target numbers.’
The Outgames will open with a celebration at Melbourne Town Hall on January 31 at 7pm. The Opening Celebration will include ‘a cast of local and international drag superstars, dancers, acrobats, martial arts and exotic performers.’ Tickets to the Opening Celebration are $20; registered Outgames participants get in free.
The Outgames will also host a Human Rights Conference. The conference will have cultural tours, community workshops and a panel discussion with such prominent GLBT-activists as Georgina Beyer, a former member of New Zealand’s Parliament and the first transgender individual to be in a federal Parliament.
Registration for the Outgames closes on Tuesday January 15, so get in quick! For those who prefer watching to competing, a Spectator Pass to the games is available for $20.
For more information about the Outgames, visit www.melbourneoutgames.org. The Outgames coincide with Melbourne’s annual gay and lesbian Pride festival Midsumma (www.midsumma.org.au).
