A proposal for the Mediterranean Games in 2013 to be withdrawn from Greece and to be held either in Spain, or in Libya or Turkey was accepted almost unanimously.

The news broke out unexpectedly after the end of the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games on Friday in Paris and chaired by President Amar Addadi.

Out of the 13-member committee, 12 people voted against the Mediterranean Games to be held in the Greek provincial cities of Larissa and Volos, as was the original decision. The 13th member of the committee is the deputy mayor of the city of Volos namely Isidoros Kouvelos. He is outspoken supporter of the idea for the small town to host the sporting event.

The official version for the withdrawal of the hosting of the two adjacent cities of Larissa and Volos is that due to the economic crisis, funding sources are limited and Greece at the moment cannot allocate funds to shelter the event. To this concern, the Initiative Committee of Mediterranean Games in Greece responded with alternative solutions such as the reorganisation of existing residential facilities of local universities and colleges.

It would cost less and could house the volume of visitors who accompany sporting event. Another alternative was to use cruise ships to take athletes who are expected to arrive from 24 different countries. Although considered alternatives significantly reduce the budget for preparation, the proposals were not put into action.

The hosting for Greece was won in October 2007 during the ICGM General Assembly in Pescara when the governing party in Greece was still New Democracy. Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time was the well known Dora Bakoyannis, who had good relations with the International Committee of Mediterranean Games.

After the fall of right government and after PASOK came to power, the country’s economic crisis has grown to dangerous proportions, while the imposed fiscal consolidation has started to cut the state budget on the edges.

At the beginning of the preparations and setting of programme of the Games, the Mediterranean Games International Committee received the most serious assurances that the Games will be carried around and infrastructure projects will be completed in time.

As expected in Greece, administrative and other delays dragged the signing of important agreements relating to the establishment of the Executive Committee of the Games and other management committees.

After the change of the government, the project was completely forgotten. As the date approached representatives of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games understood that the time has come for “Plan B” and withdrew the event from Greece.

Greece had promised to construct two villages for the 4,000 athletes in Volos and Larisa towns in Central Greece. However Athens could not come up for the cost amounting 150 million Euros decided to host the athletes in hotels and cruise ships. A proposal that was turned down by the Committee.

The Mediterranean Games International Committee has still to decide about which city will host the Med Games 2013, with the favourites now being Tarragona in Spain and Mersin in Turkey.

The Med Games 2013 will begin on 24 June and conclude on 3 July with the participation of 4,000 athletes from 24 countries mainly bordering the Mediterranean Sea, when Europe, Africa and Asia meet.

The nominations to host the Mediterranean Games are three, after Larisa and Volos are off the charts: Tarragona in Catalunya, Spain, the Turkish city of Mersin and Tripoli in Libya between 24 June and 3 July, 2013.