EuroGames 2004 in Munich In the coming summer the ninth EuroGames will take place in Munich. With the Mayor of the city, Christian Ude, as patron, up to 5000 sportswomen and men from 47 European countries will be competing from 29th July to 1st August 2004 in 27 disciplines for gold, silver and bronze medals. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs. Athletes with special needs or disabilities in particular are encouraged to take part in the games. With „Munich s’ports the rainbow“ as the slogan, more than 200 competitions will be carried out during two days all around the arena of the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Unusual sports such as line-dancing, air-gun shooting and fencing are as much a part of the program as swimming, volleyball or track and field. For the first time in the history of the EuroGames many of the competitions will take place on Olympic terrain. Many of the venues can be reached on foot within a few minutes. The swimmers will meet in the Olympic swimming hall, the half-marathon takes place in the Olympic park, track and field events in the Dante Stadium, and the university sports organization (ZHS) has offered use of its facilities for beach volleyball, football and some other types of indoor sports. The Olympic regatta course is the setting for the rowing regatta and the triathlon competitions. Above and beyond the regular competitions the EuroGames will also be organizing hiking and climbing tours in the Alps. The cultural week will begin as early as 24th July, five days before the opening of the games. The EuroGames want to attract non-competitors as well, with concerts, films, theater, exhibitions und parties. A sculpture circuit in the city center is being planned, lesbian and gay choirs from all over Germany will be performing, and a “rainbow-steamer” will transport visitors to EuroGames across Lake Starnberg. The organizers are expecting around 20,000 spectators. Since 1st July 2003 participants and visitors have been able to register online for the games at www.eurogames.info/2004 . The athletes may choose up to two sports from the 27 being offered. Those who can register include individual competitors and teams and accompanying persons (associated participants), as well as spectators, volunteer helpers, hosts for private accommodation and journalists. Numerous events, workshops and talks from the wide-ranging cultural and entertainment program can be booked. Certain hotels are offering accommodation at special rates via the home-page of the EuroGames. Participants who can not use the Internet to register can obtain the printed registration brochure. The “regular” registration for all participants in the games runs until 29th February 2004. For members of the EGLSF, participation in the EuroGames costs 68 Euros. Non-members pay 78 Euros. Participants who register between 1st March 2004 and 30th April 2004 will be charged an additional ten Euros. Those who just want to follow the competitions as spectators can buy the „La Ola“ visitor’s ticket for 35 Euros. The visitor’s ticket allows free admission to all the sports events, and also includes the admission to the opening and closing ceremonies and the ticket for the local public transport system (MVV). Athletes from certain countries, with a net monthly income of not more than 630 Euros, can apply for a stipendium. For participants in this “Outreach-Program”, EuroGames will take over the fees for registration and the cost of the MVV-ticket, events and catering are free of charge, and they will receive preference in the allocation of accommodation – either free or at a reduced rate. The central meeting point for all the competitors is the “Coubertin-Platz” in the Olympic Park. In the „Rainbow Village“ athletes, spectators, volunteer helpers and journalists will be given their participation and identity documents, and EuroGames will be providing information about the competitions under the famous tent-shaped roof from 1972. Many of the events of the EuroGames will take place here. Since 1992 the EuroGames have regularly been hosted by cities in Europea. These lesbian and gay championships in many different sports are intended for sportswomen and men, who support equal rights for, and the integration of, homosexuals in sport. The games are awarded once a year to a different European city by the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF), the international organizing network based in The Hague. Following The Hague (1992, 1993), Frankfurt (1995), Berlin (1996), Paris (1997), Zurich (2000), Hanover (2001) and Copenhagen (2003), Munich has now been awarded the Games by the EGLSF. Major EuroGames like those in Munich take place only every four years. The “EuroGames München e.V” is the organization responsible for running the games. More than 100 volunteer helpers are already active in nine project groups. The majority of them have been recruited from Munich’s lesbian and gay sports clubs, which have more than 800 members. The preparations are being coordinated by an eight-person committee. The EuroGames are financed by means of membership fees in the “EuroGames München e.V.”, participation fees and the sale of tickets. In addition the games are being supported by sponsors. The Gold-Sponsor of the EuroGames is the Galeria Kaufhof, the department store at the Marienplatz in Munich. The pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb has signed on as Silver-Sponsor. The Bronze-Sponsor is Granini. The charitable organization “Aktion Mensch” is also supporting the games, in order to promote the integration of athletes with special needs or disabilities. Further information and material for the press at www.eurogames.info/2004 Sascha C. Falk Mrotzek Press spokesman Tel. +49 (0)172 8542512 sascha.mrotzek@eurogames.info