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The Hotlanta Soccer Classic and Hotlanta Softball Challenge, annual gay sporting events held over Memorial Day, are attracting more teams than in past years, despite a troubled economy and difficulty in finding available soccer fields. (Photo by Matt Hennie)
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HOME > COMMUNITY > SPORTS
By: MATT HENNIE
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flee the city for Memorial Day Weekend, but more than 1,000 gay and lesbian athletes from across the U.S. will converge here for a variety of sporting events.
And with the Atlanta Dream opening its home schedule right in the middle of the weekend, there might be a few less lesbians combing Pensacola Beach during the holiday. Candace Parker will be playing in Philips Arena, after all.
The new kid on the block in sporting events for Memorial Day brings about 700 gay and lesbian bowlers to town. Organizers of the annual Dixie Invitational Bowling Tournament in Atlanta put together a bid that caught the attention of the International Gay Bowling Organization, the body that sanctions gay bowling and includes a half-dozen teams here. IGBO will hold its annual conference and tournament in Atlanta for the second time since 1993.
“We have been preparing for about two or two-and-a-half years for this tournament,” said Mike Tamburrino, a co-director of the event. “It is a feather in our caps to host it for the second time and get the turnout we have with the current economy. We are just thrilled with it.”
Even with a down economy and increased travel costs, the IGBO Annual 2008 is drawing more participants than the past four years, where it has remained under 600 bowlers each year, he said.
About 25 percent of the participants are from metro Atlanta, with the others traveling from across the U.S. and Canada. About 88 percent of participants are men, while 12 percent are women.
About 40 teams are expected for the Hotlanta Softball Challenge, the annual tournament hosted by the Hotlanta Softball League at the Metro Atlanta Softball Complex in southwest Fulton County. Some 10 local teams will compete among others from several Mid-Atlantic and Southern states. Teams from Texas will also take part.
“The Atlanta tournament has always been a fun tournament to come to,” said Rick McCracken, HSL’s open commissioner and tournament director. “It’s a good fun weekend of softball.”
Participation in the event is up from the 28 teams last year, primarily due to the return of A Division teams. Those top-level players rotate each year between the Atlanta tournament and two others.
Drought restrictions put in place by the city of Atlanta pushed the Hotlanta Soccer Classic out of Piedmont Park. So event organizers found open fields at the Georgia Soccer Park in East Point for the eight teams taking part.
But the move means a loss of a high-profile site and increased costs for transporting players and securing the fields, according to Bobby Flournoy, the tournament director. Despite that, he expects a fun weekend of soccer.
“The loss of Piedmont has been detrimental to the number of teams that will come,” Flournoy said. “But there is no reason that the tournament won’t go off without a hitch. It is just more challenging to plan.”
Four local teams will join others from San Diego, Florida and New York City in the tournament, which is the second consecutive year for the event after a three-year hiatus. Flournoy also hopes for a volunteer corps of about 20 people to help with logistics, drive player vans and provide water.
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