WELCOME TO ANTWERP
WELKOM IN ANTWERPEN - BIENVENUE À ANVERS
LUDO VAN CAMPENHOUT SCHEPEN VAN SPORT ÉCHEVIN DU SPORT STADTRAT FÜR SPORT ALDERMAN OF SPORTS
Antwerp has good reason to be proud this year: ‘Antwerp Pride’ you could say. For, as European Capital of Sport we have the opportunity to welcome the worldOutgames. With an expected 250,000 visitors, this will be greatest event in our sporting year. After Montreal (2006) and Copenhagen (2009), this is the third time that this important global event is being staged, a happening full of sport, culture, entertainment and attention to human rights. Having hosted the successful EuroGames in 2007, Antwerp was fortunate a year later in attracting these worldOutgames to the city. We can therefore also be justly proud that our city will form the home ground for a week of sporting competitions for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and those who support them. A unique opportunity to reveal Antwerp as the trendy and highly diverse city it most definitely is. Because - everybody belongs: let this be no secret. But this year, as Sporting A, even that bit more so. For as European Capital of Sport we want to get even more people on the move. With the highly varied sports programme - almost forty different branches of sport - there’s absolutely no reason to sit out these worldOutgames. There’s really something for everyone: football, swimming, basketball, dancing, petanque, running, bridge, golf, billiards, hockey... you name it. In August we’ll be painting the city pink with Sporting A and the Outgames, and will be demonstrating to the whole world the extent to which we are accepting of everyone. That our city is amongst the pioneers when it comes to the rights of LGBT persons, in sport too. Let’s all unite to make this summer a real festival of sport. I’m already in full training!