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Games of the Small Countries of Europe

Jeux des Petits Etats d'Europe

Giochi dei Piccoli Stati D'Europa

Smáþjóðaleikar Evrópu

Juegos de los Pequeños Estados de Europa

Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco and San Marino, are the eight diverse small countries that participate in the Games of the Small Countries of Europe. 

The games rotated around the eight nations and in 2001 San Marino began another round of games.

Monaco is scheduled to host the 2007 Games.

  • 1985 San Marino, San Marino
  • 1987 Monte Carlo, Monaco
  • 1989 Nicosia, Cyprus
  • 1991 Andorra, Andorra
  • 1993 Valletta, Malta
  • 1995 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
  • 1997 Reykjavik, Iceland
  • 1999 Vaduz, Liechtenstein
  • 2001 San Marino, San Marino
  • 2003 Valletta, Malta
  • 2005 Andorra, Andorra
  • Official Web Site 2003 Games of the Small Countries of Europe

    to: GANEFO Games

     

    Games of the Small Countries of Europe Articles from Olympic Review

    Courtesy of the Amateur Athletic Foundation Sports Library at  www.aafla.org

    4th Games of the Small States of Europe 21-26 May 1991.
    Olympic Review, March, 1990

     

    Games of the Small Countries of Europe News

    Eleventh Games of the Small Countries of Europe open

    May 31, 2005

    Andorra officially opened the 11th Games of the Small Countries of Europe yesterday.

    Jacques Rogge and Juan Antonio Samaranch, the current and former IOC presidents, were both at the ceremony.

    About 800 athletes are competing from Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Malta, San Marino and Andorra.

    Andorra is using its home court advantage well, with a contingent of 132 athletes. Twice as many as competed for Andorra in the 2003 games.

    Malta wraps up a successful Small Nations Games

    June 8, 2003

    Malta exceeded her expectations in the 2003 Games of the Small countries of Europe, both on and off the field. The games were reportedly well organized, and, it will be reported in a few weeks whether or not the games made a profit. Games organizers are hinting that the outlook is positive for a small profit from the games.

    On the field, Malta had her best small nations games performance ever winning 11 gold, 18 silver and 15 bronze medals. Malta's previous high for gold medals was seven and for total medals was 35, both at the 2001 games in San Marino.

    The head of the organizing committee, Mr. Justice Farrugia Sacco, at the end of the games proposed beginning another competition for sports that are not included in the Small Nations Games, to be held every two or four years.

    Cyprus finished on top of the medals table for just the second time in the history of the games.

    Iceland, though second in total medals, slipped to third in the gold medal race, just the second time that Iceland had not won the medals race in ten editions of the games. 317 medals were awarded at this years games, second only to the 1997 games when 326 medals were available. Even given the availability of medals, Iceland's 20 gold medals was its lowest total ever in the games, having won 21 gold medals in the 1985 and 1989 games.

    Luxembourg slipped in for second in the gold medal tally, its best ever performance.

    Andorra is on the schedule to host the 2005 games and Monaco was named as 2007 at these games. Cyprus has nominated itself as host for the 2009 edition and Liechtenstein has asked for the 2011 games.

    Medals table

    2003 Games of the Small Countries of Europe

     

    Nation

    Gold Silver Bronze Total
    Cyprus 34 20 27 81
    Luxembourg 21 17 15 53
    Iceland 20 24 23 67
    Malta 11 18 15 44
    Monaco 7 7 10 24
    San Marino 6 10 9 25
    Andorra 4 6 8 18
    Liechtenstein 2 1 2 5

    Monaco to host 2007 Games of the Small States of Europe

    June 5, 2003

    Meetings held in Malta at this years Games of the Small States of Europe have confirmed that Monaco will host the 2007 edition. Monaco bid uncontested for these games.

    During Monday's meeting, the committee decided to confirm Monaco as GSSE 2007 hosts. They were uncontested in their bid.

    Cyprus has offered to host the 2009 games and Liechtenstein the 2011 games, both to be confirmed at a later date.

    Andorra, the next games host in 2005, had planned on dropping women's volleyball as an event as they have no national team in that sport, but the games executive committee informed them that the event was required.

    At the 2003 Malta Games, Luxembourg had one member of their women's basketball team ruled ineligible for not meeting residence requirements in Luxembourg. Athletes must reside in a country for three years before participating in the games. The athlete, from Hungary, had not yet met that requirement. A protest and appeal by Luxembourg were both overruled.

    Busy summer international games schedule starts this month

    June 1, 2003

    The tenth Games of the Small Countries of Europe in Malta lead off the 2003 Summer international games schedule. A total of 39 games, large and small are scheduled for the next three months.

    The Malta games, sometimes called the Games of the Small States of Europe, or the Small Nations Games, will welcome Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco and San Marino to Malta.

    The games popularity has grown tremendously since the first edition in San Marino in 1985. These tenth games will be covered on three Maltese television stations, PBS, NET TV and Super One, under an agreement reached just before the games for the three stations to share the broadcast duties. The three stations will broadcast different sports from the games. Malta's Olympic Committee gave the rights to the broadcasters at no cost.

    NET TV, plans to suspend all regular programming and show the games for 10-hours each day.

    The games will host a meeting of sports ministers, IOC President Jacques Rogge will be in attendance and members of the Royal families from Monaco, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein are scheduled to be at the games.

    Members from the committees of the cities bidding for the Mediterranean Games, Patras, Greece, Pescara, Italy; and Rijeka, Croatia, and the 2010 Olympic Games, (Salzburg, Pyongyang and Vancouver) will also be at the games.