MISCELLANEOUS; Women's Games in Utah

Olympic Games, University Games, Pan-Am Games, World Games . . . and the list of international competitions goes on and on. They're all different, but sometimes we don't know what makes them so. Well, the latest entrant into this "name game" has a title making it easily distinguisable from the rest -- the Women's Games.

The multisport festival, sort of a female Olympics, is being launched this week at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The idea, says organizer Ron Scott, is to celebrate women's accomplishments in sports and related areas.

The inaugural competition includes volleyball, gymnastics, distance running, swimming, diving, basketball, and professional tennis. Yes, pros and amateurs are both invited, but they are not actually pitted against one another.

Salt Lake City may seem an odd outpost for the games, but it's a sizable community not inundated with other sports attractions, and the university there has all the facilities required. In addition, the city is near the ski resorts of Park City, Snowbird, and Alta, one or more of which could host the 1982 Women's Winter Games.