Hajrulla Çeku, the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports in Kosovo, has officially announced that Kosovo will serve as the host nation for the 2030 Mediterranean Games.
In a Facebook post, Çeku extended congratulations to all parties involved in the candidature process, expressing a strong commitment to lead this transformative endeavor with dedication and responsibility.
The decision to award hosting rights to Kosovo was made during the General Assembly of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG), which convened in Heraklion, Greece.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti hailed this news as an “extraordinary achievement” for the nation.
The Mediterranean Games, held once every four years, rank as the most prestigious multisport event for countries in the Mediterranean region, following in significance after the Olympic Games.
These games feature a diverse array of over 25 sporting disciplines.
Participants in the Mediterranean Games come from countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe, all with a regional connection to the Mediterranean.
In the previous edition, the host nation for this sporting event was Oran, Algeria.
The 21st edition will take place from July 24 to August 4, 2030.
Kosovo has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2014.
The International Committee of Mediterranean Games initiated the tender process for the 2030 Games at an executive committee meeting held on December 10, 2022, in Pristina, Kosovo. In April 2023, the ICMG announced the conclusion of the candidacy process, with the sole candidate city, Pristina, being selected for the 2030 Games. Pristina was confirmed as the host city on September 8, 2023, during the General Assembly of the ICMG with 55 votes in favor, eight against, and three abstentions.
Meanwhile, water sports will be held in Albania.
This will be the first time the event is held in a landlocked country. Furthermore, it will mark the second occasion of the Mediterranean Games being organized in a city without access to the Mediterranean Sea, following the 1983 Mediterranean Games held in Casablanca, Morocco.
On April 4, 2023, when Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti officially announced Kosovo’s bid to host the 2030 Mediterranean Games in Pristina, he mentioned that since Kosovo is a landlocked state, it is expected that beach sports will also be hosted in neighboring Albania.
The Prime Minister emphasized that given Kosovo’s surrounded by land and mountains, for all sports requiring access to the sea, an agreement has been reached with Albania to organize them on the Albanian coastline, specifically in Durrës.
