Mediterranean Games
First event | 1951, in Alexandria, Egypt |
---|---|
Occur every | four years |
Last event | 2005, Almería, Spain |
Purpose | Sports for the Mediterranean |
President: | Mr. Amar ADDADI (ALG) |
Website | International Mediterranean Games Committee |
The Mediterranean Games are a multi-sport games held every four years, mainly for nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, where Europe, Africa and Asia meet.. The idea was proposed at the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Taher Pasha, chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, and they were first held in 1951. The first 10 games took place always one year preceding the Olympics. However, from 1993 on, they were held the year following the Olympic games.
The Games were inaugurated on October 1951, in Alexandria, Egypt, in honour of Muhammed Taher Pasha, the man to whom their inspiration is owed, with contests being held in 13 sports along with the participation of 734 athletes from 10 countries. Ever since, they take place every 4 years without any interruption. In 1955, in Barcelona, during the II Games, the set up was decided of a Supervisory and Controlling Body for the Games, a kind of Executive Committee. The decisions were finally materialized on June 16, 1961, and the said Body was named, upon a Greek notion, ICMG (International Committee for the Mediterranean Games).
Description
These games form an opportunity for a peaceful confrontation between youth from three Continents, different cultures and religions, yet bound together by a common ideal, The Olympic Ideal, which has sprung from an ancient Mediterranean country, Greece, the cradle of the contemporary western civilization. A chance is thus given, through these games, for young people to get to know each other, appreciate each other, reaffirm or strengthen their ties in a climate of peaceful rivalry.
The Mediterranean Games, held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, fall within the competence of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, in terms of the preparation and composition of the National Delegation, precisely as for the Olympic games. Yet, their establishment too must be credited to the HOC, for it held a leading part in their being founded, despite all difficulties.
Athens is the permanent seat of the ICMG (irrespective of who the President might be) and the Committee’s General Secretary is Greek. This comes as a further tribute of honour to Greece, marking out its leading role as regards the function and strengthening of the institution.
The logo of the games, called also the “Mediterranean Olympics”, is composed of three white rings symbolically representing Africa, Asia, and Europe, the three continents that have coast on the Mediterranean Sea, reflecting themselves in the blue colour of the sea (this logo has been used since the Split games in 1979, for which it was devised and afterwards accepted for the whole Games). During the closing ceremony, the flag of the games is transferred to the country of the city chosen for the organisation of the next Mediterranean Games.
Participating countries
At present 23 countries participate in the games:[1]
- Europe: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia ,Spain and Turkey.
The only country bordering the Mediterranean Sea which does not participate is Israel.
The Hellenic Olympic Committee suggested 9 more countries, that don't satisfy geographic criteria, such as Portugal, Bulgaria, and some Arabic countries, to be allowed to participate. So far, the only non-Mediterranean country that is participating is Serbia, but it has a history of participation as part of Serbia and Montenegro, prior to breakup of that country.
Flag
The symbol of the Mediterranean Games consists of three rings representing Asia, Africa and Europe, the three continents involved in this competition. [2] The rings dissolve in a wavy line in their lower part, as if they were immersed in the Mediterranean Sea. During the closing ceremony, the flag is transferred to the country of the city chosen to host the next Mediterranean Games. [2]
Host cities
No inland city has ever hosted the games. All but one of the host cities to date have been situated on the Mediterranean coast. (Casablanca is located on the Atlantic coast.) Below together the official numbers in sequence
Year | Host | Participating Countries |
Sports | Competitions | Athletes | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City | Country | Male | Female | |||||
1951 | Alexandria | (Egypt) | 10 | 14 | 91 | 734 | --- | 734 |
1955 | Barcelona | (Spain) | 10 | 20 | 102 | 1.135 | --- | 1.135 |
1959 | Beirut | (Lebanon) | 11 | 17 | 106 | 792 | --- | 792 |
1963 | Naples | (Italy) | 13 | 17 | 93 | 1.057 | --- | 1.057 |
1967 | Tunis | (Tunisia) | 12 | 14 | 93 | 1.211 | 38 | 1.249 |
1971 | İzmir | (Turkey) | 14 | 18 | 137 | 1.235 | 127 | 1.362 |
1975 | Algiers | (Algeria) | 15 | 19 | 160 | 2.095 | 349 | 2.444 |
1979 | Split | (Yugoslavia, now Croatia) | 14 | 26 | 192 | 2.009 | 399 | 2.048 |
1983 | Casablanca | (Morocco) | 16 | 20 | 162 | 1.845 | 335 | 2.180 |
1987 | Latakia | (Syria) | 18 | 19 | 162 | 1.845 | 335 | 2.180 |
1991 | Athens | (Greece) | 18 | 24 | 217 | 2.176 | 586 | 2.762 |
1993 | Languedoc-Roussillon | (France) | 20 | 24 | 217 | 1.994 | 604 | 2.598 |
1997 | Bari | (Italy) | 21 | 27 | 234 | 2.999 | 804 | 2.195 |
2001 | Tunis | (Tunisia) | 23 | 23 | 230 | 2.002 | 1.039 | 3.041 |
2005 | Almería | (Spain) | 21 | 27 | 258 | 2,134 | 1,080 | 3,214 |
2009 | Pescara | (Italy) | ||||||
2013 | Volos and Larissa | (Greece) |
List of sports
24 sports made up the programme of the games in 2005: Aquatics (Swimming, Waterpolo), Archery, Athletics (track and field), Basketball, Bowls, Boxing, Canoe-Kayak, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic), Handball, Handisports, Judo, Karate, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Table tennis, Tennis, Volleyball (and Beach volleyball), Weightlifting and Wrestling.
Proposals have been made to include sailing in the program.
A proposal that women be included in the games was made as early as 1959. However, women did not participate until 1967.
All-time medal table 1951-2005
1 | Italy | 687 | 584 | 515 | 1786 |
2 | France | 529 | 467 | 409 | 1405 |
3 | Turkey | 243 | 155 | 178 | 576 |
4 | Spain | 241 | 356 | 436 | 1033 |
5 | Yugoslavia | 191 | 168 | 155 | 514 |
6 | Greece | 146 | 201 | 260 | 607 |
7 | Egypt | 92 | 151 | 178 | 421 |
8 | Tunisia | 57 | 50 | 97 | 204 |
9 | Algeria | 53 | 50 | 81 | 184 |
10 | Morocco | 46 | 51 | 75 | 172 |
11 | Croatia | 26 | 38 | 46 | 110 |
12 | Slovenia | 25 | 27 | 45 | 97 |
13 | Syria | 24 | 32 | 66 | 122 |
14 | United Arab Republic | 23 | 21 | 30 | 74 |
15 | Serbia and Montenegro | 16 | 18 | 42 | 76 |
16 | Lebanon | 10 | 22 | 40 | 72 |
17 | Cyprus | 5 | 11 | 12 | 28 |
18 | Albania | 3 | 11 | 13 | 27 |
19 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
20 | Libya | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
21 | San Marino | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
22 | Malta | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
23 | Monaco | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 2421 | 2422 | 2697 | 7540 |
---|
References
- ^ www.pescara2009.it: Participating countries
- ^ a b "Mediterranean Games History" (HTML). Mediterranean Games Site. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
External links
- International Mediterranean Games Committee
- Mediterranean Games Athletic results at gbrathletics website