Nepal to stage Asia's first gay sports tournament

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2012-03-21

Nepal is planning to stage Asia's first ever multi-sport games for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

According to Nepal's leading gay rights group, the Blue Diamond Society, the two-week event at the national football stadium and other venues around Kathmandu will feature Nepali participants in track and field, volleyball, football, martial arts and tennis.

"There will be five teams from each region of the country. And we expect over 200 people to take part," Xinhua quoted said organizer Sunil Babu Pant, as saying.

Pant, the country's only openly gay lawmaker, said that renowned and respected Nepali athletes will lend support as coaches and referees for the program.

He further said that the aims for organizing the Blue Diamond National Sport Competition 2012 are to mainstream LGBT into the larger society, promote healthy lifestyles, encourage physical fitness, and promote health mentally and spiritually.

New Zealand and Australia have earlier staged the Asia-Pacific Outgames, another multi-sport gay event.

Nepal's version will be the first in Asia.

Source:Southeast Asia News.Net

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