Argentine team beats British side to win Gay World Cup

*An Argentina's Dogos player (C) and an England's London Stonewall player (L) react at the end of the final match of IGLFA Football World Cup 2007 in Buenos Aires, on 29 September. Argentina's Dogos won the match by 1-0 and the championship. © 2007 AFP - Juan Mabromata

BUENOS AIRES (AFP) — Argentina's Los Dogos captured the gay football World Cup Saturday, defeating British title-holders Stonewall 1-0 in Buenos Aires in the first final held in Latin America.

The two teams were among 28 squads from Europe, the Americas and Australia that participated in the 10th gay football world championship aimed at highlighting the fight against homophobia and discrimination.

With their victory, Los Dogos, named after an Argentine dog breed, automatically qualified for the 2008 tournament hosted by London.

"The people supported us and I hope it's always like this," said Dogos coach Nestor Gammella, 51, after the final held at the Defensores de Belgrano stadium. "We beat the world champions and we are happy."

It was the first time Latin American teams played in the tournament organized by the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA), with squads from Mexico, Chile and Uruguay.

IGFLA president Tomas Gomez said Buenos Aires was chosen to host the cup this year for its "respect and social acceptance of the gay community."

Buenos Aires is increasingly seen as a gay-friendly city. In 2002, the city's government approved gay and lesbian civil unions.

Gay World Cup 2007

*International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA)

The opening ceremony for this week-long event, supported by FIFA, local and state authorities, will take place on 23 September 2007, in Buenos Aires (Argentina). It is the first time in the tournament's 16-year history that Latin American country has hosted the World Championship of gay and lesbian fooball teams. The choice of Argentina is not a random one. Besides brilliant football traditions, it is the only Latin American country where same-sex civil partnerships (aka marriage) are permitted.

Reuters reports that "twenty-eight teams, many representing cities in Europe, the United States, Australia and Latin America, as opposed to countries, will play in the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association's competition."

"If gay-lesbian soccer exists it's because gays and lesbians can't play the sport without suffering discrimination," said Cesar Cigliutti, president of the Argentine Homosexual Community gay advocacy group. "The sports world is very homophobic, very discriminatory and soccer is a prime example... That's exactly why these championships were born," he said.

London will host the 2008 IGLFA World Championship (24-30 August).

No reports on Armenian participation... as yet.