Paris tournament announces patrons: top athletes to support the June event

FGG-member Fédération sportive gaie et lesbienne has just announced the names of the two patrons of its annual TIP Paris International Tournament. In recent years, the TIP has been fortunate in having leading politicians, including Minister of Health and Sport Roselyne Bachelot and Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, as patrons.

This year, it's back to sport, to focus on the theme of this year's tournament: "Let's play sport together", with the goal of working with and in mainstream sport to promote the fight against homophobia in sport.

As such, it is highly appropriate that the two patrons represent elite athletes, one lesbian, the other a straight ally. The former is Marielle Bousquet, a top volleyball player, and member of the French national team since 2004. The latter is pole vaulter Romain Mesnil, who was 2nd in the 2006 European Championships, and in the 2007 and 2009 World Championships.

For more info on the TIP, click HERE.