The countdown to the Portimão-Lagoa 2027 Mediterranean Beach Games officially began as organizers marked one year to go until the Opening Ceremony of the first event of the Mediterranean family ever to be hosted in Portugal.

A special ceremony was held at the Santa Catarina Fortress in Portimão, bringing together representatives of the Organising Committee, local authorities, partners, media and invited guests to celebrate the milestone and look ahead to the Games, which will welcome athletes from across the Mediterranean region to the Algarve next year.

The International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) was represented by President Francesco Purromuto, Secretary General Iakovos Filippousis and the President of the Coordination Commission Ilias Dalainas.

Addressing the gathering, President Purromuto expressed confidence in the progress being made by the Organising Committee and reflected on the successful Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026, while looking ahead to the next major Mediterranean sporting event.

“Taranto is still fresh in our memory, but today we begin a new chapter of the Mediterranean Games here in Portimão and Lagoa,” Purromuto said. He also thanked the Olympic athletes who symbolically connected Italy and Portugal through a journey by road and sea in support of the Games.

Portuguese Olympic Committee President Fernando Gomes underlined the significance of the occasion for the country.

“This is the first time that Portugal is organizing a competition of this dimension,” he said. “It fills us with enormous pride, but also with great responsibility.”

The President of the Portuguese Olympic Committee reaffirmed the ambition of the Organising Committee to deliver the best edition of the Mediterranean Beach Games to date. Beyond the sporting competition, he also emphasized the wider impact of the event.

“It is an opportunity to bring people together, transforming differences into a strength and sport into a language that everyone understands,” Gomes said, adding that the lasting legacy of the Games would ultimately remain with the people.

Portugal’s Secretary of State for Sport, Pedro Dias, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the event and highlighted the country’s growing reputation as a host of major international sporting competitions.

“We have the infrastructure, we have the experience, we have the organisational capacity, we have unique natural conditions. Above all, we have people and institutions deeply committed to the development of sport,” he said.

Looking ahead to next year’s event, Dias stressed the unifying power of sport. “One year from now, Portimão and Lagoa will become the meeting point for hundreds of athletes from different sports, countries and cultures, united by the values of sport and by a common vision of promoting Mediterranean territories,” he noted.

Portimão Mayor Álvaro Bila described the Games as both an opportunity and a responsibility for the municipality.

“It is an opportunity to show the world who we are, to promote our city internationally and to leave a sporting and urban legacy for future generations,” he said, while also emphasizing the responsibility of hosting an event of such importance.

Lagoa Mayor Luís Encarnação highlighted the close cooperation between the two municipalities located on opposite banks of the Arade River.

“Intermunicipal cooperation is the driving force behind the Algarve’s international projection,” he said, reaffirming Lagoa’s “total, rigorous and unwavering commitment” to the organization of the Games.

“We are preparing our municipality, our infrastructure and our teams to ensure that this edition will not simply be another event, but an unforgettable experience for everyone who visits us,” he added.