European countries with less than one million inhabitants, which are members of the International Olympic Committee, qualify to compete in the GSSE: they are Andorra, San Marino, Malta, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Monaco.

With more than 325 medals to award the Andorran Olympic Committee anticipates over one thousand athletes to participate in this year’s games. Andorra’s capital, Andorra la Vella, will hold the opening and closing ceremonies of the GSSE and be the main focus for the games.Escaldes-Engordany, Encamp, Sant Julia de Loria, and La Massana will also play important roles during the games offering quality sport facilities for judo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, cycling, and for the first time in the history of the Games, taekwondo.

Enric Torres, spokesman for the Government of Andorra said: “We are looking forward to hosting the 11th Games of the Small States of Europe once again. It’s great to build upon a tradition that is special to the people of Andorra and all the participating countries in this event and it gives us the opportunity to show people how beautiful Andorra is in summer.

“The Pyrenees provide the perfect setting for the mountain biking event and our sites across the country offer excellent sport facilities in which the events will be held. As always the people of Andorra offer a warm welcome to all those who plan on visiting us over the games period.”

Since the start of the biannual event in 1985, all eight participating countries have hosted the GSSE at least once. Andorra will be the third country to host the games for the second time behind San Marino and Malta respectively.

Andorra is located high in the Pyrenees between France and Spain.