Outgames registrations set to hit milestone

Registrations for the 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames are set to pass the 1,000 mark within coming days – with almost 3 months still to go before the event takes place.

And registrations to date have come from 15 countries, leading Outgames organisers to predict that over 20 countries will be represented in March 2011.

“We end the year in an extremely strong position,” says Co-chair David Hindley.

“To top things off, we have just received confirmation that His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand, The Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, will be opening the Outgames on March 12. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the personal representative for the Head of State has opened one of these events anywhere in the world.”

The last 3 months of the year saw the Outgames attract over NZ$100,000 worth of new sponsorship, including generous support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Some of this has gone to provide scholarships to the human rights conference for people from Pacific Island countries. It has also allowed conference organisers to bring out an additional international keynote speaker.

“There have been very few disappointment this year,” said Mr Hindley. “one was that due to circumstances beyond our control, this month we had to withdraw two events – netball and softball – from the sports programme.”

Registrations for the Outgames will continue through February 2011, but a late entry fee of NZ$25 will be applied after 7 February.

The 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames is 8 days of sports competition, a human rights conference, a major arts and culture festival, and social events and parties in Wellington, New Zealand, 12-19 March 2011. Information is available, and registrations can be made, on the website www.welllingtonoutgames.com

ENDS

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