With less than 200 days till the Opening Ceremony, organisers of the 4th Asia Pacific Out Games are rolling up their sleeves to make the games a success.
Melbourne played host to the first Asia Pacific Out games back in 2008, followed by Wellington in 2011, and most recently Darwin in 2014.
Auckland now has the honour of hosting members of the LGBTI community from all over the region from the 13 February 2016.
The Asia Pacific Out games has suffered from significant churn in its structure, with the resignation of its Board and resignations from within its Executive team.
However, the Gay and Lesbian International Sporting Association (GLISA) Asia Pacific, who have provided the licence to hold the event, are now actively working alongside a smaller Executive to plan for a scaled down Outgames.
Asia Pacific Out games spokespeople Craig Watson and Ashley Barratt who are leading the drive for support and sponsorship with a new sense of urgency say that a robust plan is being developed to deliver the Outgames in February.
Since the first Gay Games were held in San Francisco in 1982 the New Zealand LGBTI community has participated in international LGBTI sporting events.
With the 2016 games being hosted in Auckland Kiwi LGBTI athletes and participants will have the best opportunity to get involved in multiple sports and get to know more people within the diverse and large community.
The Asia Pacific Out games are a regional multisport event held every three years for LGBTQI athletes and participants in the Asia-Pacific region.
The games are a regional derivation of the World Outgames with both events being organized by the GLISA.
Watson believes the games will require two things including moderate sponsorship and the active support from within the Auckland Rainbow community.
“We are calling out to the community to rally together and identify some funding channels to support this fantastic event.”
“We need to partner with sporting groups, cultural groups and human rights organisers to pull this event off. It really needs to be a community effort.”
Watson said the 4th Asia Pacific out games has the potential to be a huge success for the LGBTI community in Auckland, New Zealand and around the world.
“We are so close to being able to make this Outgames fantastic. We are just hoping that with a bit of funding, and a lot of community collaboration, we can make it happen for Auckland.”
Athletes and participants will be able to register to enter the 21 featured sports in the next few weeks through the Asia Pacific Out Games website.
The majority of sports that are featured in the Outgames are based out of the Henderson Sports Hub with the Trusts Arena hosting 10 sports.
Other venues that are located nearby the Henderson Sports Hub include the West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre, Henderson Squash Club, Pins Lincoln and Te Pai Place Tennis Club.
The 4th Asia Pacific Outgames 2016 will also be holding a Dragon Boating Exhibition/Open Day where Outgames participants, friends, families and the wider community will be given the opportunity to give the sport of Dragon Boating a go in a safe and fun environment.
More details about Outgames and to register in the near future can be found via www.4apog.com
Follow the Asia Pacific Out Games on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Last Updated on Aug 3, 2015
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