Mediterranean Games

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The Mediterranean Games are a multi-sport games held every four years, mainly for nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea. 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).

The Mediterranean Games, organized every four years, stand as the greatest sport event of the Mediterranean region, attracting the interest of the maritime countries, where Europe, Africa and Asia meet.

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.

Contents

[edit] Participating countries

Participating countries
Participating countries

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

The only country bordering the Mediterranean Sea which does not participate is Israel. In 2009 Israel will participate for the first time.[citation needed]

The Hellenic Olympic Committee suggested 9 more countries to be allowed to participate, such as Portugal, Bulgaria, and some Arabic countries.

[edit] 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 (Croatia,Yugoslavia) 14 26 192 2.009 399 2.048
1983 Casablanca (Morocco) 16 20 162 1.845 335 2.180
1987 Latakia (Syria) 16 20 162 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)

[edit] List of sports

24 sports make 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 enter sailing in the program.

A proposal that women be included in the games was made as early as 1959, but women did not participate until 1967.

[edit] All-time medal table 1951-2005

 Rank  Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Flag of Italy Italy 687 584 515 1786
2 Flag of France France 529 467 409 1405
3 Flag of Turkey Turkey 243 155 178 576
4 Flag of Spain Spain 241 356 436 1033
5 Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 191 168 155 514
6 Flag of Greece Greece 146 201 260 607
7 Flag of Egypt Egypt 92 151 178 421
8 Flag of Tunisia Tunisia 57 50 97 204
9 Flag of Algeria Algeria 53 50 81 184
10 Flag of Morocco Morocco 46 51 75 172
11 Flag of Croatia Croatia 26 38 46 110
12 Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 25 27 45 97
13 Flag of Syria Syria 24 32 66 122
14 Flag of United Arab Republic United Arab Republic 23 21 30 74
15 Flag of Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro 16 18 42 76
16 Flag of Lebanon Lebanon 10 22 40 72
17 Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 5 11 12 28
18 Flag of Albania Albania 3 11 13 27
19 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 3 8 14
20 Flag of Libya Libya 1 1 7 9
21 Flag of San Marino San Marino 0 4 0 4
22 Flag of Malta Malta 0 1 3 4
23 Flag of Monaco Monaco 0 0 1 1
Total 2421 2422 2697 7540

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.pescara2009.it/be/main.php?page=fe_std&startPos=0&sortField=id&sortDir=2&id_page=paesi&sezione_fe=sezione1

[edit] External links

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Mediterranean Games