Mediterranean Games

Mediterranean Games
Alexandria Mediterranean Games 1951 logo.jpg
Alexandria Mediterranean Games 1951
Mediterranean games logo.gif
Flag of the games
First Event 1951, in Alexandria, Egypt
Occur every four years
Last Event 2009, Pescara, Italy
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).

Contents

Description

The Mediterranean Games present an opportunity for peaceful athletic competition between youth from different continents, cultures and religions — all bound together via a common Olympic Ideal, which has sprung from the ancient Mediterranean country of Greece, the cradle of 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 genial rivalry.

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). However, 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 to Greece, highlighting its leading role with regard to the function and strengthening of the institution.

The logo of the games, also referred to as the "Mediterranean Olympics", is composed of three white rings symbolically representing Africa, Asia, and Europe — the three continents that border the Mediterranean 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

Participating countries

At present, 23 countries participate in the games:[1]

The only country bordering the Mediterranean Sea which is not permitted to participate is Israel. It has been claimed that the exclusion of Israel is driven by both political motivation and antisemitic prejudice.[2]

The only countries not bordering the Mediterranean Sea which nonetheless participate are Andorra, San Marino and Serbia.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee has suggested that nine more countries that do not satisfy geographic criteria to be allowed to participate, such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Portugal and some Arab countries.

Flag

Cities hosted the Games

The symbol of the Mediterranean Games consists of three rings representing Asia, Africa and Europe, the three continents involved in this competition.[3] 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.[3]

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.) Recently, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Kotor (Montenegro) signed an official Declaration for joint candidacy for hosting 2021 Mediterranean Games.

Below together the official numbers in sequence

No Year Host Participating
Countries		 Sports Competitions Athletes Total
City Country Male Female
I 1951 Alexandria Egypt (Egypt) 10 14 91 734 --- 734
II 1955 Barcelona Spain (Spain) 10 20 102 1.135 --- 1.135
III 1959 Beirut Lebanon (Lebanon) 11 17 106 792 --- 792
IV 1963 Naples Italy (Italy) 13 17 93 1.057 --- 1.057
V 1967 Tunis Tunisia (Tunisia) 12 14 93 1.211 38 1.249
VI 1971 İzmir Turkey (Turkey) 14 18 137 1.235 127 1.362
VII 1975 Algiers Algeria (Algeria) 15 19 160 2.095 349 2.444
VIII 1979 Split Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia)Croatia now Croatia 14 26 192 2.009 399 2.408
IX 1983 Casablanca Morocco (Morocco) 16 20 162 1.845 335 2.180
X 1987 Latakia Syria (Syria) 18 19 162 1.845 335 2.180
XI 1991 Athens Greece (Greece) 18 24 217 2.176 586 2.762
XII 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon France (France) 20 24 217 1.994 604 2.598
XIII 1997 Bari Italy (Italy) 21 27 234 2.999 804 3.803
XIV 2001 Tunis Tunisia (Tunisia) 23 23 230 2.002 1.039 3.041
XV 2005 Almería Spain (Spain) 21 27 258 2,134 1,080 3,214
XVI 2009 Pescara Italy (Italy) 23 28
XVII 2013 Volos and Larissa Greece (Greece)

List of sports

There are Athletics, Field Athletics, Aquatics, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Fencing, Archery, Bowling, Shooting, Cycling

All-time medal table 1951-2009

 Rank  Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Italy 751 633 578 1962
2  France 577 520 448 1545
3  Spain 269 377 470 1116
4  Turkey 263 174 216 653
5  Yugoslavia 191 168 155 514
6  Greece 165 215 291 671
7  Egypt 103 161 191 455
8  Tunisia 70 61 110 241
9  Algeria 55 53 93 201
10  Morocco 52 60 83 193
11  Croatia 31 50 57 138
12  Slovenia 32 36 55 123
13  Syria 26 35 73 134
14  Serbia* 25 31 55 111
15  United Arab Republic 23 21 30 74
16  Lebanon 10 22 40 72
17  Cyprus 8 15 13 36
18  Albania 5 15 13 32
19  Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 6 13 22
20  Libya 2 1 13 16
21  San Marino 1 7 2 10
22  Montenegro 2 2 3 7
23  Malta 0 2 3 5
24  Monaco 0 1 1 2
Total 2421 2422 2697 7540

References

  1. ↑ www.pescara2009.it: Participating countries
  2. ↑ The games must go on: Avery Brundage and the Olympic movement, Allen Guttmann, page 225.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Mediterranean Games History". Mediterranean Games Site. 2008. http://www.medgames.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=26. Retrieved 2008-10-02. 

External links

Mediterranean Games
1951 Alexandria • 1955 Barcelona • 1959 Beirut • 1963 Naples • 1967 Tunis • 1971 Izmir • 1975 Algiers • 1979 Split • 1983 Casablanca • 1987 Latakia • 1991 Athens • 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon • 1997 Bari • 2001 Tunis • 2005 Almeria • 2009 Pescara • 2013 Volos-Larissa