CHALLENGE CUPS

As a special recognition of the achievements by EuroGames participants the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) will award the best men, women and teams in the five most popular sports with the Challenge Cups. At the closing ceremony EGLSF representatives will officially hand over the Cups to the winners.

Some cups are memorial cups. They are dedicated to persons who in the past have greatly contributed to the development of EGLSF and European gay and lesbian sport in general. All cups represent the pride of lesbians and gays to freely participate in sports, to reach for their limits and give their personal best.

This year, Challenge cups will be awarded in the following sports:

• Badminton, A level singles women
• Badminton, A level singles men (Dominique Pogiale cup)
• Volleyball, A level women
• Volleyball, A level men (Bernd Stürzenberger cup)
• Swimming 100 m free style, woman
• Swimming 100 m free style, men
• Running, 10k women
• Running, 10k men
• Football, women
• Football, men
• Basketball, women
• Basketball, men
• Bowling (Thierry Bettex cup)

The Volleyball cup is dedicated to Bernd Stürzenberger, Germany, who was member of the first gay sport club in Europe, SC Janus Cologne, co-founder of Vorspiel SSL Berlin in 1986 and Team Berlin in 1989. Bernd was a well known sympathetic activist and supporter of GLBT sport. The Berlin sport clubs organised EuroGames in 1996.

In remembrance of Dominique Pogiale, France, the Badminton Cup is given to the best male player. He was co-founder and the first president of the EGLSF. Dominique also belonged to the board of CGPIF the Paris umbrella organisation of GLBT sport groups. The Parisian sport groups organised EuroGames in 1997.

Thierry Bettex (Switzerland) was a bowler. Also a co-founder and board member of the EGLSF he founded Gay Sport Suisse in 1989 to bring swiss people to the Gay Games in 1990 and 1994. Thierry of course was member of Gay Sport Zürich. The Zürich sport groups organised EuroGames in 2000.