View source for Ivan Bussens

{{Short description|British water polo player (1960–2007)}}
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{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
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| sport = [[Water polo]]
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1960|6|3}}
| birth_place = Batu Gaja, Malaysia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|8|27|1960|6|3}}
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'''Ivan Bussens''' (3 June 1960 – 27 August 2007) was a British sportsman who competed at [[water polo]] at the [[Gay Games]]. He raised the profile of [[LGBT]] sport, having co-founded the [[Out for Sport]] organisation representing LGBTQ+ clubs in [[London]] and served on international sporting associations.

==Biography==
Bussens was born at Batu Gaja, [[Malaysia]],<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|author=Philip Collins |title=Ivan Bussens: Founder of Out of Sport, an umbrella organisation representing gay sports clubs in London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/oct/25/obituaries.guardianobituaries |work=The Guardian |date=25 October 2007 |accessdate=6 October 2014 }}</ref> and educated at [[Culford School]], [[Suffolk]], [[England]]. Having moved to London, he became a fashion buyer, events planner and interior designer.<ref name="Guardian obit" /> The latter brought prominence with photographers and television companies, and the house he shared with his partner Peter Unsworth featured in magazines and in scenes from [[ITV Network|ITV's]] ''Footballers Wives''.

Bussens founded [[Out for Sport]], an organisation representing gay sports clubs in London. He promoted its first multi-sport competition. Bussens served on the board of the [[International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Association]] and was London representative at the [[Federation of Gay Games]].<ref name="Guardian obit" />  He persuaded the committee of [[Out To Swim]] to sponsor a women-only session to encourage greater participation. In 2000 he helped Out To Swim establish a water polo team (known as London Orca) with the help of a [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]] grant. He made links with the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] and the [[Mayor of London]]'s office to ensure lesbian and gay inclusion.<ref name="Guardian obit" />

Bussens was in a [[Domestic partnership#In Europe|same-sex partnership]] with Peter Unsworth for 26 years.<ref name="Guardian obit" /> After fighting cancer during 2006, Bussens suffered a relapse and died in hospital in summer 2007, aged 47. His funeral took place in Norfolk, where his parents Alan and Cyndie lived, and where he is buried.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

==See also==
* [[Homosexuality in sports]]
* [[Principle 6 campaign]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2434276.ece Obituary in ''The Times'']{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{subscription required}}{{full citation needed|date=October 2014}}
*{{YouTube|0CIAj27mbQg|Gay Games clip featuring Ivan Bussens}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080217205309/http://www.completehome.com.au/indoors/indoors?cid=6290&pid=2086685 Magazine profile of Ivan Bussens' home]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bussens, Ivan}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:English male water polo players]]
[[Category:British male water polo players]]
[[Category:English gay sportsmen]]
[[Category:English interior designers]]
[[Category:People educated at Culford School]]
[[Category:LGBTQ water polo players]]
[[Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]