by The Games of the Small States of Europe will kick off this Monday 29th May and run until Saturday 3rd June. Nine countries will compete across ten sports, with plenty of medals at stake. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Games.
What are the Games of the Small States of Europe?
The Games feature nations from Europe who have less than a million citizens (with the exception of Cyprus who had less than 1 million at the first participation). Brewed up by the Maltese Olympic Committee, the idea behind the games was to allow smaller nations to compete on a level playing field. Discussions ensued and upon getting all eight countries on board, the first games were held in San Marino in 1985.
Since then, the Games have grown in the number of sports being played, countries participating and the number of athletes involved. The countries participating this year will be Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta (host), Monaco, Montenegro and San Marino. During this edition there will be more than a thousand athletes competing for multiple medals across various sports.
Going into the games, Cyprus holds the highest tally of overall medals at 1283, closely followed by Iceland with 1259. However, the latter has the highest number of gold medals (498), slightly edging out Cyprus (489). Host nation Malta has a total of 409 medals, out of which 73 are gold. The complete tally is listed below.
Which sports will be played?
There is a vast selection of sports that one can support and follow, ten to be exact. These are Athletics, Basketball, Judo, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis and Tennis.
When do the Games start?
The games begin on the 29th of May, with Basketball 5×5, Squash and Tennis and Sailing all kicking off activities on the opening day.
- Squash and Tennis: will be played at the Marsa Sports Club. Squash will kick off with men’s and women’s singles from 9 am, while preliminary rounds for tennis start at 10 am.
- Basketball will kick-off with the women’s teams from Cyprus and Luxembourg at 1 pm at Ta’ Qali, followed by their male counterparts at 3:15 pm.
- Sailing: Though sailing will also start on the 29th May, the day is scheduled for registration and inspection.
How can I watch the opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony is sold out and is penned in at 8 pm on Monday 29th May. Those who have not had to opportunity to grab tickets will be able to watch the broadcast from the comfort of their homes. Malta’s flag bearers for the ceremony will be Elaine Genovese (tennis) and Matthew Galea Soler (athletics). For Team Malta it will also the first time that the country will have a Team Captain, a role entrusted to Eleanor Bezzina (indoor shooting).
When will each sport be played?
Basketball 5×5, sailing and squash will run throughout the duration of the games. There are several others such as tennis, table tennis and shooting which will run for five days out of six. On the other hand, athletics, rugby and judo will be held on select days, promising medals on almost every occasion. Malta will be making its debut in rugby 7s in both men’s and women’s categories and the contingent has high hopes of fighting for medals in both.
I am busy and cannot go to watch the games for a full day. Is there a detailed schedule of when games will exactly be played?
The full official schedule for every sport can be found by clicking on the sport of your choice below.
Athletics, Basketball 3×3, Basketball 5×5, Judo, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis.
Select broadcasts and live streams (via Youtube) will be shown if one cannot physically attend the venues, more details to follow.
Where do I have to go to watch my sport of choice?
The images below show a map of the location where each sport will be played and the name of the venue.
How much do I need to pay to go into the venues?
Entrance to all venues is free of charge. You need only bring enthusiasm and any friends/family you think would enjoy watching these athletes compete. Respect towards participating athletes hailing from all countries is imperative. The public is also urged to respect the rules of the sport being played when voicing their support. You can join the online discussion by using the hashtags: #GSSE2023 #Malta
