With only hours remaining before the opening of the 20th Mediterranean Games, Mehrez Boussayene, acting president of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games, paid tribute to the late Davide Tizzano, saying Taranto 2026 should be regarded as part of the legacy of the former ICMG president.
Speaking at a joint international press conference held by the ICMG and the Taranto 2026 Organising Committee, Boussayene recalled a tribute to Tizzano held earlier on Friday in the presence of his family and members of the Mediterranean Olympic family.
Boussayene said Tizzano had strongly believed in the Taranto project and had worked to ensure its success.
“Taranto 2026 is part of his legacy,” Boussayene said, underlining the significance of the Games for the city of Taranto, the Puglia region, the organising committee and the ICMG.
He described the progress of the project as the result of an “exceptional collective effort and synergy”, while thanking the Italian government for its support and praising the personal commitment of Andrea Abodi, Italy’s Minister for Sport and Youth.
Boussayene said there had been close cooperation and coordination with Abodi during the final phase of preparations for the Games.
Press Conferanse – Taranto 2026
International federations at the heart of the Games
Boussayene, who is also an International Olympic Committee member, told SportsIn that the relationship between the ICMG and the International Federations remains fundamental to the Mediterranean Games.
He stressed that the Olympic Movement is built around the IOC, International Federations and National Olympic Committees, with each having a distinct role within international sport.
The ICMG, he explained, is a non-governmental organisation recognised by the IOC and operates within the framework of the Olympic Charter.
Within that framework, the International Federations are responsible for regulating their respective sports and overseeing the technical aspects of competition.
“Without the International Federations, these Games would not be recognised by the IOC or, more broadly, by the international sporting community,” Boussayene said.
He therefore described the agreement and involvement of the International Federations as essential to the organisation and recognition of the Games.
Their presence in Taranto, including the attendance of federation presidents, was another indication of the importance attached to that relationship, he said.
Massimo Ferrarese and Mehrez Boussayene
More than a regional multi-sport event
Asked by SportsIn whether the Mediterranean Games could eventually develop to a level that would justify describing them as a “mini-Olympic Games” for the Mediterranean region, Boussayene placed the event within the wider structure of international multi-sport competition.
He pointed out that the Olympic Games are not the only major multi-sport events recognised within the Olympic system. The European Games, African Games, Asian Games and Games of the Americas, alongside events such as the Arab Games and Islamic Solidarity Games, all serve different geographical communities.
The Mediterranean Games, he said, occupy their own position within this system, bringing together countries from the southern Mediterranean and major European sporting nations with direct access to the Mediterranean.
Boussayene also highlighted the sporting importance of Taranto 2026, noting that all competitions must be approved by the relevant International Federations for their results to receive official recognition.
The significance of the Games has been further enhanced by the fact that some events serve as qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“These are Games of a certain level,” Boussayene said, pointing to the participation of many of the best athletes from Mediterranean countries.
He rejected the need to frame the Mediterranean Games simply as a smaller version of the Olympics, instead emphasising their established place within the international sporting system.
As Taranto enters the final hours before the Opening Ceremony, Boussayene ended with a message to the athletes preparing to compete under the flags of their respective countries.
“I wish all our athletes the very best of luck in representing their countries,” he said.
The 20th Mediterranean Games will officially open in Taranto on Friday evening, marking the culmination of years of preparation and the beginning of the first edition of the Games to be staged in Italy since Pescara 2009.
Last related articles
