ANKARA (AA) - Turkey is ready for the 17th Mediterranean Games in southern provinces of Mersin and Adana with record participation as 6 thousand athletes in 34 branches from 24 countries will make the games historical.
Turkey will host the 17th Mediterranean Games between June 20-30 for the second time.
Mersin and Adana, Turkey’s provinces on the Mediterranean coast, are making final preparations for 17th Mediterranean Games, organized every four years among the Mediterranean Sea littoral countries.
The previous games in 2009 in Pescara, Italy hosted 3303 sportsmen from 23 countries competing in 28 events.
With record participation, 6 thousand athletes and technical teams from 34 branch and 24 countries will make the games historical.
Many Olympics facilities were built in Mersin and Adana. Besides Mediterranean Olympic village with the capacity of 3 thousand 500 person, Mersin stadium and Erdemli Shooting range area with 1 thousand 550 person, gymnasium are ready for the games.
Besides, tennis courts basketball sports hall with the capacity of 7 thousand 500 person, Olympics swimming pool, an indoor sport facility for boxing games have been getting ready for the games.
Adana has been coming to an end for the preparations of the games as Handball, riding facilities and canoeing and rowing facilities are waiting for the games.
- AA to cover the games in detail
Anadolu Agency (AA) will closely cover the games with a team of 12 correspondents, who will also conduct exclusive interviews with the foreign and local sportsmen and their technical staff.
AA will publish the news of the games in English, Arabic, Bosnian and Russian.
The news for the games will also be shared on social media.
Mersin is a tourist destination in the summer.
- Turkey won as Greece withdrew
Turkey became the host country as Volos, a town in Greece, previously voted to be the host country, announced that it withdrew because of the economic crisis in the country.
After that the International Mediterranean Games Committee requested a second voting among Turkey, Libya and Spain. On February 23, 2011, the committee declared Turkey as the winner.
- Game of Mediterranean countries for 62 years
European, African and Asian sportsmen from diverse languages, religions and cultures have been participating the Mediterranean Games since 1951, upon the proposal of the Chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, Muhammed Taher Pasha, at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
- Italy first, Turkey fourth
Italy ranks the 1st with 1967 medals, France follows it with 1550 medals, Spain ranks the 3rd with 1126 medals while Turkey ranks the 4th with 637 medals.
Izmir, on Aegean Sea, was the first Turkish city to host the games in 1971.
Many Olympics facilities were built in Mersin and Adana. Besides Mediterranean Olympic village with the capacity of 3,500, Mersin stadium and Erdemli shooting range area with 1,550 capacity, gymnasium are ready for the games.
Besides, tennis courts basketball sports hall with the capacity of 7,500, Olympics swimming pool, an indoor sport facility for boxing games have been getting ready for the games.
Adana has been coming to an end for the preparations of the games as handball, riding facilities and canoeing and rowing facilities are waiting for the games.
Accreditation Coordinator's Office provided security officials, who will be assigned for the games, with accreditation training, and announced on Monday that the accreditation identities would be valid until July 3.
The list of the Mediterranean Games host countries:
1.Egypt - Alexandria 1951
2.Spain - Barcelona 1955
3.Lebanon - Beirut 1959
4.Italy - Naples 1963
5.Tunisia - Tunis 1967
6.Turkey - Izmir 1971
7. Algeria - Algiers 1975
8.Yugoslavia - Split 1979
9.Casablanca - Morocco 1983
10.Syria - Latakia 1987
11.Greece - Athens 1991
12.France Languedo-Roussillon 1993
13.Italy - Bari 1997
14.Tunisia - Tunis 2001
15.Spain - Almeria 2005
16.Italy - Pescara 2009
