More that 250 athletes competed in the first LGBTI sports festival in Nepal this weekend.
Former Olympic diver Greg Louganis played in the games’ opening football match wearing a Nepali cap and the festival continued for three days of athletics and team games.
Kathmandu-local Roshan Mahato won gold in the 100m sprint at a time of 13.14 seconds.
Twenty-nine-year-old Bakti Shah, who took part in football and athletics, said ‘after I participated in the tournament, my confidence has increased’, Reuters reports.
The festival included a transgender beauty pageant on the Sunday afternoon. Earlier this year the Nepal government announced they would beginning issuing a third gender option on official documents.
‘Huge congratulations to all athletes who showed their courage to come out and perform their best,’ said organizer of the event, former MP Sunil Babu Pant, adding that he hopes the Olympics will end discrimination against trans people.
