10/06/22 City welcomes participants, athletes to Gay Bowl XXII Hawaii 2022 flag football tournament

City welcomes participants, athletes to Gay Bowl XXII Hawai'i 2022 flag football tournament

HONOLULU - The City and County of Honolulu is proud to welcome more than 1,200 LGBTQ+ athletes, family members and friends to O'ahu to take part in the National Gay Flag Football League's (NGFFL) Gay Bowl XXII Hawai'i 2022 Flag Football Tournament this week at Kapi'olani Regional Park.

The event, which is taking place from Thursday, October 6 through Sunday, October 9, is being co-sponsored by the City and County. Competition is scheduled to take place across 12 football fields that have been designated across Kapi'olani Park, and various venues across Downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī will host events related to the competition.

"I know first hand that few things are more exciting than the spirit of competition, and my many years as a football player and coach provided some of the best memories of my life," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "We're thrilled that more than 50 of the NGFFL's best teams have traveled to Hawai'i to compete, and we look forward to not only seeing which team comes out victorious, but to doing everything we can to help make Gay Bowl XXII a memorable event for everyone who is participating."

Honolulu was originally selected as the host site for the NGFFL Gay Bowl in 2020, but the event that year was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's tournament will include three or four open (all gender) divisions, as well as two female identified-only divisions. Back in 2002, when the first Gay Bowl was held in Los Angeles, competition featured just three participating teams. Today, more than 50 teams from 20 cities across the country are expected to participate in the 3-day event.

For more information go to: https://ngffl.org/gaybowl

-PAU-