The 16th of June 1961 remains a landmark date in the history of Mediterranean sport. On that day, at the Tennis Club of Athens, representatives of the International Olympic Committee and the Mediterranean National Olympic Committees decided, under the leadership of Cheik Gabriel Gemayel, IOC Member for Lebanon, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch from Spain, then elected as the 7th President of the IOC, and Mr. Ioannis Ketseas, IOC Member for Greece, to establish the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG), with the City of Athens as its permanent seat, a status held to this day.

Founding members of the ICMG were also the NOC of Italy (CONI), represented by Mr. Giulio Onesti, the NOC of Morocco (CNOM), represented by Mr. Mohammed Benjelloun and the IOC Member for U.A.R. and Egypt Mr. Ahmed El-Demerdash Touny. Yet the Mediterranean Movement had begun a decade earlier with the 1st edition of Alexandria 1951 Games, inspired by the vision of Mr. Mohamed Taher Pacha, IOC Member for Egypt, who sought to unite the nations of the Mediterranean basin and to cultivate friendship and peace in the region through sport. From Africa, the Games 2 moved to Europe with Barcelona in 1955, then to Asia with Beirut in 1959, completing the trio of continents that border the Mediterranean Sea. Cheik Gabriel Gemayel gave this vision a permanent institutional dimension through the establishment of the ICMG in 1961.

Sixty-five years later, that vision remains more alive and relevant than ever. On this anniversary, the ICMG pays tribute to all those who, across nineteen editions of the Mediterranean Games and three editions of the Mediterranean Beach Games and through the commitment of its 26-member National Olympic Committees, have contributed to building and promoting this exceptional collective achievement: athletes, officials, volunteers, media, partners and governments alike.

The ICMG honours the Presidents who have guided the institution since its founding: Gabriel Gemayel (Lebanon, 1961–1979), Mohamed Mzali (Tunisia, 1979–1987), Claude Collard (France, 1987–2003), Amar Addadi (Algeria, 2003–2021) and Davide Tizzano (Italy, 2021–2025).

Over these 65 years, the ICMG has stood as a steadfast guardian of peace, cooperation, resilience and solidarity, championing the promotion of inclusion, women’s participation and gender equality, disseminating the Olympic Ideals, elevating the role of athletes, and educating young people in the values of sport. In doing so, it has demonstrated in practice that Sport bridges all divides and diversities and it has the unique power to change lives.

The Mediterranean Games represent the finest example of a sporting organisation whose members have shown a timeless respect to the principle of peaceful coexistence through sport, remaining wholly devoted and consistently present throughout every chapter and event of its history. This momentum continues with the Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026, whose 20th edition symbolically coincides with the ICMG’s 65th anniversary.

Taranto 2026 marks a historic milestone, with FIBA’s recognition of the 3×3 basketball tournament as an official ranking event counting towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic 3 Games, thus reflecting the growing international standing of the Mediterranean Games and the collective ambition of the 26 NOCs that form the Mediterranean family.

On this day of celebration, the ICMG expresses its deepest gratitude to all who have helped preserve the Mediterranean dream for sixty-five years, guided by the sea that unites us all and driven by a shared determination to embrace the future.