Mediterranean Games

The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The first Mediterranean Games were held in 1951 in Alexandria, Egypt, while the most recent games were held in 2026 in Taranto, Italy. The idea was proposed at the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Taher Pasha. At present, 26 countries participate in the games.

History The idea was proposed at the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Taher Pasha, chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee and vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.), assisted by Greek member of the I.O.C. Ioannis Ketseas. Separate Mediterranean sports events preceded the games. From 1947 to 1949, the Mediterranean Athletics Championships were contested,εφ. "Αθλητική Ημέρα", Μάιος 1935. and the Mediterranean Cup football competition was held in 1949 and 1950.Mediterranean Cup and Games. RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-08-16. The first official Mediterranean Games were held in Egypt in 1951.

The Games were inaugurated in October 1951, in Alexandria, Egypt, in honour of Muhammed Taher Pasha, with contests being held in 13 sports and 734 athletes from 10 countries participating. During the II Games, held in 1955 in Barcelona, a Supervisory and Controlling Body for the Games was established to function as a kind of executive committee. The decisions were finally materialized on 16 June 1961, and the said Body was named, upon a Greek notion, the ICMG (International Committee for the Mediterranean Games). Twelve countries have hosted the Mediterranean Games, including four from Africa: Egypt (1951), Tunisia (1967, 2001), Algeria (1975, 2022) and Morocco (1983); six from Europe: Spain (1955, 2005, 2018), Italy (1963, 1997, 2009), Turkey (1971, 2013), Yugoslavia (1979), Greece (1991) and France (1993); and two from Asia: Lebanon (1959) and Syria (1987).

The first eleven games took place one year before the nearest Summer Olympic Games. Since 1993, the games have been held the year after the Olympic Games. This transition means that the only time the Mediterranean Games were not held four years after the previous games was in 1993, when Languedoc-Roussillon in France hosted the games just two years after Athens in 1991. In 2018, the Mediterranean Games calendar was reset again when Tarragona hosted the games in the mid-even year between the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic Games (and in the same year as the 2018 FIFA Men's World Cup).

Description

The Mediterranean Games, in terms of the preparation and composition of the National Delegation, are held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee and the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC).

Athens is the permanent seat of the ICMG (regardless of who the President might be) and the committee's General Secretary is Greek. This comes as a further tribute to Greece, highlighting its leading role with regard to the function and strengthening of the institution. Greece bailed out of its 2013 Mediterranean Games commitment due to financial troubles, when the two cities of Volos and Larissa were supposed to host the 2013 edition of the games. The 2013 honors went to Turkey, with the city of Mersin hosting the games instead.

Participating countries

At present, 26 countries participate in the Mediterranean Games:

Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia Asia: Lebanon and Syria Europe: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey

Kosovo was accepted as a member of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games in October 2015 and participated for the first time in the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain.Kosovo accepted as member of International Committee of the Mediterranean Games. One athlete representing the Vatican City participated in an unofficial ("non-scoring") manner in the women's half marathon event at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria.

Of all the National Olympic Committees within the Olympic Movement bordering the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Palestine have not participated in the Mediterranean Games, nor has Great Britain, which represents the British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar and Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

In the case of Israel, Allen Guttman in The Games Must Go On argued that Israel's exclusion is both antisemitic and politically motivated due to antagonism towards Israel by the participating Muslim and Arab nations. IOC President Avery Brundage was not supportive of Israel's desire to compete, saying: "I cannot understand why anyone wants to go where he is not wanted". The International Amateur Athletics Federation pushed the issue at the 1959 Mediterranean Games in Beirut by refusing to grant permission to hold an athletics competition unless Israel was allowed to compete. Lebanese games organizer Gabriel Gemayel conceded to this, but sidestepped the ruling by holding a parallel "Lebanese Games" comprising athletics events between the present nations alongside the official Mediterranean Games competitions.The games must go on: Avery Brundage and the Olympic movement, Allen Guttmann, page 225. In September 2023, European Olympic Committees president Spyros Capralos called on the International Committee of Mediterranean Games to open a discussion about admitting both Israel and Palestine as members.

There are countries not bordering the Mediterranean Sea which nonetheless participate: Portugal, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Serbia and North Macedonia. Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia were all formerly part of Yugoslavia, which competed until its breakup and dissolution in 1992.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee has suggested that nine more countries that do not satisfy the geographic criteria could be allowed to participate, such as Bulgaria and Jordan. Portugal competed in the 2018 Mediterranean Games after a decision which approved Portugal as an effective National Olympic Committee.

Flag

The symbol of the Mediterranean Games consists of three rings representing Asia, Africa and Europe, the three continents involved in this competition. The rings dissolve in a wavy line in their lower part, as if they were immersed in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. During the closing ceremony, the flag is transferred to the country of the city chosen to host the next edition of the Mediterranean Games.

Editions All host cities have been coastal and all but one on the Mediterranean coast (Casablanca is on the Atlantic coast). When Pristina hosts in 2030, it will be the first host city to not be coastal.

No Year Host City Dates Opened by Nations Competitors Sports Events Top Country OnMedal Table Men Women Total 1 1951 Alexandria 5 – 20 OctoberFarouk I 10 734 734 14 91 Italy 2 1955 Barcelona15 – 25 JulyFrancisco Franco 1,135 1,135 20 102 France 3 1959 Beirut11 – 23 OctoberFuad Chehab 11 792 792 17 106 France 4 1963 Naples21 – 29 SeptemberAntonio Segni 13 1,057 1,057 17 93 Italy 5 1967 Tunis 8 – 17 SeptemberHabib Bourguiba121,211381,24914 Italy 61971 İzmir 6 – 17 OctoberCevdet Sunay14 1,235127 1,36218 137 Italy 7 1975 Algiers23 August – 6 SeptemberHouari Boumédiène 15 2,095 349 2,444 19 160 Italy 8 1979 Split15 – 29 SeptemberJosip Broz Tito 14 2,009 399 2,408 26 192 Yugoslavia 9 1983 Casablanca3 – 17 SeptemberHassan II 16 1,845 335 2,180 20 162 Italy 10 1987 Latakia11 – 25 SeptemberHafez al-Assad 18 1,529 467 1,996 19 Italy 11 1991 Athens28 June – 12 JulyKonstantinos Karamanlis 2,176 586 2,762 24 217 Italy 12 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon16 – 27 JuneFrançois Mitterrand 19 1,994 604 2,598 24 France 13 1997 Bari13 – 25 JuneOscar Luigi Scalfaro 21 2,166 790 2,956 27 234 Italy 14 2001 Tunis2 – 15 SeptemberZine El Abidine Ben Ali 23 1,972 1,019 2,991 23 230 France 15 2005 Almería24 June - 3 JulyJuan Carlos I 21 2,126 1,077 3,203 27 258 Italy 16 2009 Pescara25 June – 5 JulyRenato Schifani 23 2,183 1,185 3,368 28 244 Italy 17 2013 Mersin20 – 30 JuneRecep Tayyip Erdoğan 24 1,994 1,070 3,064 27 264 Italy 18 2018 Tarragona22 June – 1 JulyFelipe VI 26 2,180 1,468 3,648 28 246 Italy 19 2022 Oran25 June – 6 JulyAbdelmadjid Tebboune 2,014 1,284 3,298 24 244 Italy 20 2026 Taranto21 August – 3 SeptemberSergio Mattarella 2,207 1,647 3,854 28 279 Italy 21 2030 Pristina 24 July – 4 AugustFuture event

Notes

All-time medal table Medal Table 1951–2026

Rank Team Games Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 20 998 869 819 2687 2 20 677 621 611 1909 3 20 427 297 357 1081 4 20 363 509 597 1469 5 20 226 283 368 806 6 * 12 199 177 182 558 7 18 179 225 274 620 8 16 99 84 150 333 9 18 92 111 172 375 10 18 88 99 135 322 11 9 63 87 94 244 12 6 61 61 78 200 13 9 58 68 111 237 14 18 32 42 80 154 15 ** 1 28 34 49 111 16 12 26 27 30 83 17 3 26 25 30 81 18 11 13 20 21 54 19 19 11 23 42 76 20 4 8 4 7 19 21 11 7 10 10 27 22 9 7 8 30 45 23 5 5 11 13 29 24 4 4 4 12 20 25 14 2 4 14 20 26 20 1 4 4 9 27 16 1 4 1 6 28 6 0 0 1 1 29 *** 1 0 0 0 0 Total 20 3695 3696 4271 11662 – Yugoslavia competed in 1997 and 2001 as FR Yugoslavia.

– Serbia competed in 2005 as Serbia and Montenegro. (*) Yugoslavia participated in the Games before its breakup in 1992 and the establishment of the constituent republics. (**) The UAR included at the time Egypt and Syria. (***) Honorary participation in Tunis in 2001.

Doping Changes by doping:

Nurcan Taylan – Weightlifting at the 2009 Mediterranean Games - 53 kg Women - 2 Gold Gülcan Mıngır – Athletics at the 2013 Mediterranean Games – Results - 3000m Steeplechase Women – 1 Bronze

Competitions Throughout the history of the Mediterranean Games, 39 different sports have been presented:

SportYears 3x3 basketballSince 2018 Archery1979, 1993-1997, 2005, since 2018 AthleticsSince 1951 BadmintonSince 2013 Basketball1951–2013 Beach volleyball2005–2018 BoulesSince 1997 BoxingSince 1951 Canoeing1979–1997, 2005–2018, 2026 CyclingSince 1955 Diving1951–1997 Equestrian1955–1959, 1979-1983, 1991-1997, 2005-2009, since 2018 Fencing1951–1983, since 1991 Field hockey1955, 1963, 1979 Finswimming2026 FootballSince 1951 Golf1983 (demonstration), 1991–2009, 2018 GymnasticsSince 1951 Handball1967, since 1975 JudoSince 1971SportYears KarateSince 1993 Padel2026 Roller hockey1955 Roller speed skating2026 Rowing1951–1979, 1991–2018, 2026 Rugby union1955, 1979–1983, 1993 Sailing1955–1963, 1971–1983, since 1991 ShootingSince 1951 Skateboarding2026 SwimmingSince 1951 Table tennisSince 1971 TaekwondoSince 2013 TennisSince 1963 Triathlon2018, 2026 VolleyballSince 1959 Water poloSince 1951 Waterskiing2009–2018 WeightliftingSince 1951 WrestlingSince 1951

Mediterranean Sports Federations 19 Federations in 2018:

Confédération Méditerranéenne d'Escrime (COMES) Confédération Méditerranéenne d'Haltérophilie (MWC) Confédération Méditerranéenne de Handball (MHC) Mediterranean Committee of Associated Wrestling Styles (CMLA) Union Européenne et Méditerranéenne de Tir a l'arc (EMAU) Confederation of Mediterranean Badminton (COMEBA) Confédération Méditerranéenne de Wakeboard et Ski Nautique (MWWC) Ligue Méditerranéenne de Football Mediterranean Karate Federations Union Union Méditerranéenne de Voile Conféderation Méditerranéenne de Natation (C.O.ME.N.) Union Méditerranéenne de Tennis de Table (UMTT) Union méditerranéenne de Taekwondo Confédération Méditerranéenne de Gymnastique Fédération Méditerranéenne de WUSHU Union de la Méditerranée des sports de Boules Union Méditerranéenne d'Athlétisme Union des Fédérations Méditerranéennes des Activités Subaquatiques Confederation of Mediterranean Orienteering Federations (COMOF)

See also Mediterranean Beach Games

References

External links

– International Mediterranean Games Committee