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Malta to host championships of the Small States of Europe 2022
Malta to host championships of the Small States of Europe 2022
Malta’s bid to host the biennial Championships of the Small States of Europe in June 2022 has been accepted by the Athletic Association of Small States of Europe (AASSE)! The championships are a prestigious prelude to the Games of Small Nations of Europe (GSSE), which will be held in Malta a year after that.
“Such events will strengthen Malta’s position on the international map, not solely in the field of athletics but in the wider sporting remit. It will also mean that hundreds of high-quality international athletes will be visiting Malta, giving them a taste of what the country can offer, while giving our elite athletes opportunities to continue strengthening their preparation on the road to the GSSE games a year after. It will also serve as an important experience for competition officials,” Andy Grech, the Athletics Malta president.
Andy Grech proposed that the AASSE plays a coordinating role in strengthening connections and the sharing of resources, human and infrastructure between smaller nations, in their efforts to push forward their respective development, as well as to strengthen their voices on a European level.
Andy grech
What are the championships and games of the small states of Europe?
The former is a biennial competition focused primarily on outdoor track and field, organised by the AASSE. First held in 2016, the competition is held on alternate years with the Games of the Small States of Europe. Interestingly, the European small states traditionally sent a combined team to the European Team Championships, but following the competition’s change to a biennial format, a gap in the sporting calendar emerged.
The Games of the Small States of Europe, on the other hand, is a biennial multi-sport event, which was launched by the Republic of San Marino. The Games are organised by and feature the National Olympic Committees of nine European small states and it has been this way since 1985. Member countries of the Games all have a population of one million people or less, with Cyprus being the only exception. However, its population was indeed below a million in 1984.
