Antwerpen signs contract to host 2013 World Outgames

It’s official: Antwerp will host the 2013 World Outgames 03 – 11 Aug 2013. The Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA), the international body that licenses the World Outgames, has announced Antwerp 2013 World Outgames agreement.pdf they have signed a definitive agreement with World Outgames Antwerpen to host the event. The organizers have said rowing will be one of the featured sports at the event.

The news follows months of speculation that the 2009 Copenhagen World Outgames might have been the last. Naysayers across world latched onto the small participant numbers at Copenhagen (~5500) and with barely disguised shadenfreude, unilaterally declared that the World Outgames had melted into a puddle. While it is true that the world economic crisis has made organizing and hosting any multi-sport event a challenge, the City of Copenhagen’s tourist arm, Wonderful Copenhagen, recently announced a positive financial result for the 2009 World Outgames.

GLRF is already in discussions with the sports organizers of the 2013 World Outgames on possible formats and locations for the rowing event. The initial proposal for the rowing event was on the Netekanaal, southeast of Wijnegim. The Royal Antwerp Rowing Club is located there and a regatta was hosted there in September 2009. The challenge for the location is the relative narrow width of the canal, and the small boat facilities. GLRF has proposed that the rowing event be held at Hazewinkel, a FISA certified world championship course 18km. south of Anvers (fr. Antwerp). With the expansive rowing facilities and a large water sports centre, managed by the Belgian Flemish Sports agency (Boso), the location would accommodate a large number of competitors for the 2013 World Outgames regatta