Global Sport

Gay Games end with fanfare and emotional
AMSTERDAM: With fanfare and emotional farewells, the 1998 Gay Games ended Saturday as tens of thousands of athletes gathered for a last round of dancing and freewheeling celebration.

On a hot summer night, up to 28,000 people thronged the Arena Stadium for the bash that ended the week-long Olympics-styled games spotlighting gay athletes, culture, and boisterous street parties.

Sniffling and teary-eyed, participants bid farewell yesterday to each other, promising to meet up again at the next Gay Games in 2002 in Sydney, Australia.

Kicking off the closing ceremony, jubilant and dancing athletes entered the stadium and ran the gauntlet of flag-waving supporters.