Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 12:44:48 -0500 (EST) From: Craig weltha Subject: Gay Games IV Registration Info. New York, NY -- The organizers of Gay Games IV & Cultural Festival have announced that the deadline for athlete registration has been extended from March 31 to April 18 in sports with available space. In addition, the $50.00 late registration fee has been waived. Gay Games IV & Cultural Festival, to be held June 18-25, 1994, is an Olympic-style sporting and cultural event open to all. At this point organizers are expecting more athletes to participate in the Gay Games than participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Gay Games IV competition will be held in 31 team and individual sports in venues located throughout the New York City Metro area. Due to an overwhelming response in registrations, several sports have already reached or approached capacity. Tennis, which is being held at the United States Tennis Association's National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, site of the U.S. Open, was the first sport to hit capacity, with over 600 registrants. Swimming, volleyball, squash, martial arts and badminton are very close to maximum participation numbers, but are still accepting athletes. As of March 17, nearly 8,500 participants have signed up for athletic events Registrations have come in from 31 countries including the Czech Republic, Ghana, Malaysia and Peru. "Our registration numbers have been fantastic so far," noted Roz Quarto, Director of Operations at Gay Games IV. "And with the extension of the deadline and removal of the late fee we're making the event accessible to many more athletes." Individuals having difficulty finding teams to play on in team sports can contact the Games Team Matching Coordinator Jane Coban at 212.877.3941. For more information on registering for Gay Games IV contact the Gay Games at: voice 212.633.9494. e-mail gaygames@phantom.com for general information or unitytx@aol.com for info. about ticketing