Nike and Adidas, in a rare collaboration, will sponsor the 2016 International Gay and Lesbian Football Association World Championship, which will be held in Portland from August 6 to 13.
Nike #BETRUE will host the tournament’s official welcome party on Sunday, August 7, at their downtown Portland store. Nike athletes will be in attendance and Nike will provide each participant with a “swag bag” with Nike#BETRUE product.
Adidas will provide an abundance of playing equipment, exclusive product in swag bags, and the use of Providence Park, the home of the MLS Portland Timbers and NWSL Portland Thorns, for three of the tournament’s Championship Games.
Adidas’ U.S. headquarters are in Portland and Nike is located nearby in Beaverton.
Since the inaugural championship in 1992, the tournament has been held in 16 different cities throughout the world and has crowed over 30 tournament winners in both the men’s and women’s competition. This will be the 22nd version of the competition featuring clubs from all over the world as the NetRippers F.C., Portland’s only LGBTQ soccer club, won the bid to host the games in 2015.
“We are thrilled that Nike and Adidas are both at the table for the LGBTQ community, for the nonprofit sports community, and for soccer here in Portland,” said Max Wedding, Co-Chair of the tournament’s host committee and board member at the Portland Netrippers Football Club, a soccer club for Portland’s LGBTQ community and their friends, in a statement. “It just shows how sport and community can bring people together. This is a proud day for Portland.”
The tournament brings together roughly 400 LGBTQ athletes from around the world every year. Read more about game schedules and events here.
