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HONG KONG (AP) — Scores of athletes celebrated the opening of the Gay Games in Hong Kong on Saturday despite opposition from anti-LGBTQ lawmakers, marking the first time the international sporting event to be held in Asia.

Nearly 2,400 participants from about 45 territories, including Britain, the United States, and Australia, will compete in a variety of games, from tennis and swimming to culturally rich activities like dragon boat racing and mahjong in the nine-day event.

The games are being held concurrently in the Mexican city of Guadalajara featuring many of the same events, a first for the competition that was first held in San Francisco in 1982.