Highlights of the year

The annual general assembly in Rotterdam wrapped an amazing year in the history of EGLSF. We celebrated successful EuroGames in Lyon with a record number of participants, we concluded two important EGLSF led projects: +PLUSS and WSRO which both produced information packages that will be used within and outside the federation to reach our strategic goals, our communication team has grown and have managed to lift our profile, and finally we secured, for the first time, an operating grant from the European Union!

UNITED in Sport – Driving LGBTIQ+ Inclusion in European Sport

This year’s Friday conference was organised by Ketelbinkie with the support of EGLSF, and  which was funded by the Leeuwen van Lignac Stichting. The event was hosted by Beau de Leeuw, the founder of Lifting Lion (a queer, trans and non-binary coach).

The conference brought together representatives from LGBTI+ sport organisations, public authorities, researchers, and civil society to reflect on current developments in inclusive sport across Europe. The programme addressed key topics such as equality and inclusion in sport governance, safeguarding, access to funding, and the role of major sporting events in advancing LGBTI+ inclusion.

The event provided a valuable space for knowledge exchange and discussion, setting the scene for the strategic conversations that followed during the EGLSF Annual General Assembly.

Participants, as well as those who were unable to attend the conference in person, can access the presentations online, ensuring continued sharing of knowledge and resources beyond the event: Conference 27.02.26 - EGLSF Public - Google Drive

EuroGames

EuroGames Lyon 2025 gave their final presentation to the EGLSF finishing with huge applause. Their legacy for the games includes elements such as successful marketing strategy resulting in a high number of participants, tight co-operation model with the city of Lyon and several efforts to make the event more environmentally sustainable. 

The next EuroGames will take place in Cardiff in July 2027. Cardiff presented their updated sports program, extended organising team, plan to open registration in May and their outreach support program which is already open!  

With pleasure, during the AGA, EGLSF co-presidents signed a contract with EuroGames Frankfurt 2028, who were elected to host the games last year through online voting. The newly established EuroGames Frankfurt was founded by Artemis Sport Frankfurt e.V. & Frankfurter Volleyball-Verein e.V. (FVV). We also learned that planning for EuroGames Frankfurt 2028 is at full speed. At the moment there are 20+ sports planned, but more can be arranged if the plans are deemed viable. The hosts can be contacted directly - contact details are given on their website. 

EGLSF had not received any bids for hosting EuroGames 2029, and hence the board made a motion to extend the time to bid. The motion was accepted, and the deadline is now 30th June for the bidding fee and 30th September to deliver the Bid-book. 

The board’s second motion regarding adding funds to our EuroGames Fund to support .. was accepted. It was also stated during the assembly that the support you will get is not only financial, but the knowledge sharing between hosts is extensive and the host community is very supportive. Hence, we encourage even smaller and less established clubs to consider the opportunity of hosting EuroGames in 2029 or 2030, which are both open for bidding this year. 

Gay Games XII Valencia

We also got an update about this summer’s biggest LGBTIQ+ sports event that  takes place in Valencia. There are still several sports open for registration, so take a look on www.gaygamesvalencia2026.com/en/ and join us there. EGLSF will be represented and is planning to host a reception.

AGA Workshops

The two days at the assembly included also a few interactive sessions with topics around the small grants that the members can now apply for, how it is to host EuroGames, taking part in a literally mobile Erasmus+ project (walking the Camino..) and how to create youth inclusion in your sports club. These were hosted by the board members, Michele Mommi (EGLSF project manager), Simon Carpentier (IGLYO) and Andrej Pišl (EUSA). 

Election results

The Annual General Assembly concluded with a series of decisive outcomes across motions, elections, and appointments. In the officer elections, Marcel Kreissig was re-elected as Treasurer, Javier Pellón was re-elected as General Secretary, and Martin Muñoz was elected as Board Member at Large. 

For future governance and events, Hamburg was elected as the host city for AGA 2027. Tatjana Eggeling and Philip Houtermans were both re-elected as AGA Co-chairs 2027. 

All committee members were available for re-election, which also took place. That is, Jonas Ljungren and David Hofstetter were re-elected to the Cash Control Committee, and Edwin Westenberg, Matthew Hall to the Legal Advisory Committee (LAC). In addition, a new candidate, Anni Tüski, was elected to the LAC.

Congratulations to all!  

Plan for 2026

With the CERV operating grant EGLSF has already been able to continue the co-operation with our project management staff and communication team members, who are as essential as the board members for delivering everything that is planned for this year. In general, the board plans to prioritise advocacy, campaigning, and project delivery to address discrimination, hate speech, and regressive policies in sport.

 Here are some highlights of the plan:

• Roll out small grants for members.
• Strengthen the EGLSF Member services and the visibility of members in our social media.
• Launch a redesigned website focused on being a central hub for resources and information rather than an organisational showcase.
• Improve accessibility and impact of research findings (including WSRO data) through targeted campaigns.
• Run the EuroGames 2029 and 2030 bidding processes and do a site visit to Cardiff.
• Host an EGLSF reception with Advocacy Awards at the Gay Games in Valencia.
• Organise a roundtable event to discuss LGBTIQ+ sport and membership in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania.

Thank you Ketelbinkie & Rotterdam

The EGLSF board would like to thank Gay Sportsclub Ketelbinkie, and especially Rodney Goijer and other “staff” members, and the municipality of Rotterdam for their hospitality and providing us with excellent venues for our annual event. 

See you all next year in Hamburg!