Spectres Australia Featured on QNews: Australian women’s basketball team play at Gay Games for the first time

Spectres Australia has been featured on QNews ahead of the 2026 Gay Games in València, spotlighting Brisbane player Carole Margand as she prepares to represent Australia in one of the country's first Women's Basketball teams at the Games.

The Gay Games, held every four years, is the world's largest LGBTQ+ sporting event, built around the values of participation, inclusion and personal best. Basketball has been part of the Games since its very first edition in San Francisco in 1982, and this year's event runs across eight days in Spain — a milestone stop on the road to Perth hosting the Gay Games in 2030.

The article traces Carole's path back to the court. Having grown up playing representative-level basketball in Geneva, Switzerland, she stepped away from the sport for 15 years after relocating to Australia and building a new life. She found her way back through the Brisbane Spectres, describing the club as somewhere that brings together people from vastly different backgrounds who quickly form close, lasting bonds. Her partner Heidi, who has watched her play for eighteen years, told QNews how quickly Carole formed close friendships after joining the club, describing a shared understanding within the group that would normally take years to build.

The piece also marks a broader milestone for the organisation. Spectres Australia was founded in Sydney in 2001 by seven gay basketballers who came together to represent Australia at the 2002 Gay Games, and has since grown into a national network spanning Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, open to LGBTQIA+ players and allies of all skill levels. Founder and CEO Andrew Bondini spoke to what the Games represent as the club approaches its 25th anniversary:

"The Gay Games is more than just a sporting event. It's a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and the power of community through sport."

Good luck to Carole and every Spectres athlete taking the court in València.

Read the full article on QNews here.