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South Pacific Games officials in Samoa have overruled a ban on the country's gay competitors at the event having sex.
Team Samoa management issued a memo to its athletes and officials banning them from engaging in gay or lesbian sex at the games, which start in Apia on August 25.
The Samoa Observer newspaper recently published the full text of the memo, issued on June 20.
"Do not embarrass yourself, your family and your country by trying this in the village," the memo reads in a section on gay relationships.
"Best not to even think about this. It's against the law of God!" it says.
Homosexuality is illegal in Samoa, with a penalty for indecency between males of up to five years' jail.
South Pacific Games organising committee chairman, Tapasu Leung Wai, told AAP his country did not discriminate against anybody.
"It was an internal memo from team management, and it was struck out... Samoa has been known as accepting anybody, whether you be black or white, or whatever interests you have," he said.
"It (homosexuality) is illegal, but as I said, on a personal note, we do not have any hard feelings about anybody, whatever you do. We respect whatever status you have."
Five thousand people are expected in Western Samoa's capital Apia to attend the games, in which 22 countries compete.
- AAP
