As from the coming weeks the attention of those referred to as ‘Small States of Europe’ will be focused on the 14th edition of the Games of Small States of Europe.

It will be Liechtenstein again to organise these Games following the experience the country went through in 1999.

For those who are not familiar with such Games, one is to recall that at some of the European Olympic Committee meetings, the representatives of the small states decades ago had suggested the idea of organising, between them, multidisciplinary sporting games. The most important factor, however, is that European countries with a population of less than one million inhabitants may participate, if they have an autonomous Olympic committee and are members of the International Olympic Committee.

The idea of these Games took shape at the Olympic Congress held in Baden-Baden in 1981, at which the Olympic committees of the eight small states met for the first time to exchange impressions and work out ways to organise games especially designed for the size of their states.

The decision was taken during the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984 and the statutes and technical regulations were drawn up. These Games are held – with little exceptions – in accordance with the rules and regulations of the international federations and the Olympic Charter and are acknowledged by the European Olympic Committee.

All of the eight countries have already once organised the Games as from 2001 the second circle has been started. The GSSE take place every two years either end of May or beginning of June. 

On 1 June 2009, the Executive Committee of the Games of Small States of Europe has decided to include Montenegro as ninth member country.

To date the Games were organised by the following countries: 1985 San Marino, 1987 Monaco, 1989 Cyprus, 1991 Andorra, 1993 MALTA, 1995 Luxembourg, 1997 Iceland, 1999 Liechtenstein, 2001 San Marino, 2003 MALTA, 2005 Andorra, 2007 Monaco, 2009 Cyprus.

In addition to individual sporting activities, Liechtenstein offers a wide range of opportunities to take advantage of clubs in many different types of sports. 15,000 people in Liechtenstein are members of a sports association.

This corresponds to 45% of the population. One in 240 people in Liechtenstein is president of a sports association. The development of sport in Liechtenstein is a result of the Sports Act has been in force in Liechtenstein since 2000. This law aims at promoting sports in the interest of the development of the young, of public health, of leisure activities and physical fitness.

Besides organising the Games of Small States of Europe in 1999, Liechtenstein has brought forth a number of internationally successful elite athletes.

Liechtenstein has won a total of 11 Olympic medals, all in Alpine skiing.

World Championship medals were won in Alpine skiing, in Model Aircraft Flying (combustion engines3A), in Kickboxing, Cycling and Winter triathlon.

The Liechtenstein Olympic Sports Association (LOSV) has affiliated to it of 42 national sports associations and 128 sport clubs.

As an umbrella Organisation of associations and clubs, the LOSV has direct responsibilty for all issues connected with sports. The LOSV supports and advises the organisations in their activities and developments in favour of sports, provided that these meet the principles and standards in ethics. The LOSV is the national olympic committee (NOC) and responsible for the representation at Olympic Games and therefore also at the Games of the Small States of Europe.

The mentor for sports organisation in Liechtenstein remains Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein a “sports diplomat” born in 1912 and who established and cultivated many diverse international relationships for Liechtenstein sports.

He rendered particularly outstanding services for the Olympic movement in Liechtenstein. Using his professional and family ties to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he was the driving force when Liechtenstein, which was not a member of the IOC, participated in the Olympic Games for the first time. An Olympic Committee was founded in Liechtenstein a year before in 1935, where Baron von Falz-Fein served as Vice President.

Meeting Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein in Vaduz he stressed that : “ the results were modest the first few times Liechtenstein participated in the Olympics, believing that even a small country could achieve success through hard work and luck. Today this perseverance has proven to be correct.

The gold, silver, and bronze medals that Liechtenstein has won at the Olympics demonstrate this.” Baron von Falz-Fein has always been particularly committed to the Olympic movement and idea: “Taking part is everything!” This is underscored in a most impressive way by the fact that he participated in 16 Olympic Games in various functions!

His second athletic passion was for cycling. As a Parisian cycling champion and acquaintance of many European sports stars, Eduard von Falz-Fein has dedicated himself to Liechtenstein cycling since 1951. In 1951 and from 1953 to 1973, he was President of the Liechtenstein Cycling Association, and he supported many cycling talents during that time. To this day, he continues to put his entire heart into his commitent to youth and cycling.

The Organising Committee of the 2011 – 16th. Games of the Small States of Europe chose two birds as official mascots of these Games.

They are rare animals, they live in the alps and also in Liechtenstein. Eagles embody qualities like strength and liability, elegance and quickness – values which are also important in sports. They shall be friendly identification figures of the LieGames and bring luck to athletes and the Organising Committee.

In August they have been presented to the public.

There the audience has given them the names Elfi for the female eagle (the name has been deduced from “11” - in German “elf”) and Alfi for the male mascot.