Articles
Record number of Dutch athletes at Gay Games
Every few years, something special happens: the Gay Games. Thousands of athletes, artists, and advocates descend on a single city to compete, create, and celebrate who they are. This year, the city is Valencia, where the Dutch delegation is the largest and most professional to date.
Record-breaking delegation
The Gay Games are far from new. First organised in 1982 in San Francisco, they were the brainchild of accomplished former Olympic athlete Dr Tom Waddell. With this historic event, he sought to create an inclusive space where LGBTQIA+ athletes could participate without prejudice, fostering a sense of community and breaking down social barriers.
The Netherlands has long been part of these visionary ideals, and even hosted the event in Amsterdam in 1998. Many years on and tens of thousands of participants later, the event touches down in Valencia on 27 June 2026. This year, a record-breaking delegation of 400 athletes from the Netherlands will travel to Spain under the Team Netherlands banner.
The large number of athletes reflects the Netherlands’ commitment to diversity, inclusion, and respect. “We consider the Gay Games a unique platform for raising awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community’s talent, resilience and contribution to sport and culture”, according to ambassador Roel Nieuwenkamp of the Netherlands embassy in Madrid.
From left to right: Jan Schneider - Co-President Federation of Gay Games David Gomez- CEO Valencia Gay Games 2026 Jan Pieter de Lugt - voorzitter Stichting Pride and Sports Sophia Rodriguez - Co-President Federation of Gay Games Jon Landa Diestro - Promotion & International Affairs Valencia Gay Games 2026
We don't just change the culture of sport; we change lives
Jan Pieter de Lugt - Chairman Pride & Sports
Building a visual international movement
Pride & Sports is the driving force behind Team Netherlands. The organisation is the leading platform in the Netherlands for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport and an official and key partner of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG). On 26 January 2026, the organisation proudly announced that they had assembled a unified team from local sports groups, clubs and individual athletes for the Gay Games in Valencia, which also includes a powerful strategic partnership deal with Nike.
For the first time, they took Dutch participation from a loose cluster of individuals to a professional, cohesive movement. "In Valencia, we are not just building a sports team; we are building a visible international movement to give our community a significant boost", says Jan Pieter de Lugt, Chairman of Pride & Sports.
The organisation has brought together a wide range of sports and athletes since 2017. For example, through an extensive sports programme during Queer & Pride Amsterdam, featuring events such as Pride Run, Pedal for Pride and Urban Sports Jams.
But Pride & Sports’ actions exceed sporting ambitions. They are also committed to breaking down financial barriers for the sport sector. The Queer Champions Fund plays an important role in this. The fund provides financial support for, amongst other things, contributions towards participation fees for national and international tournaments such as the EuroGames and the Gay Games. This ensures that talented athletes can compete and inspire others, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, cultural background or financial circumstances.
Furthermore, the organisation focuses on raising awareness within the sport sector and beyond. The organisation has a wealth of (scientific) knowledge and personal accounts on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and sport. They incorporate this in a wide range of online training courses featuring toolkits designed to encourage behavioural change to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, Pride & Sports applies its managerial expertise to make the wider sporting environment in the Netherlands safer and more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ athletes.
Change the culture of sport, and you can change lives
In the Netherlands, we advocate a safe and inclusive society. To us, openness and inclusion are not just ideals; they are part of daily life and require continuous efforts from the community, from grassroots to the international stage. Our approach to global events such as the Gay Games and World Pride in Amsterdam reflects the long-standing belief that diversity makes a society stronger, more creative, and more resilient. By empowering organisations, such as Pride & Sports, to build initiatives like Team Netherlands or share their knowledge, we continue to support gender and LGBTQIA+ equality both at home and abroad. Sport should never, ever be a place of exclusion. De Lugt concludes: “When we intentionally create environments where people feel safe and truly welcome, we don't just change the culture of sport; we change lives”.
