TARANTO – Mediterranean Games, the International Committee will not grant other exemptions for municipalities more than 35 kilometers from Taranto. This is a distance that should be understood not as the crow flies, but based on the road route. This was written yesterday afternoon by Stavri Bello, coordinator of the ICMG commission for Taranto 2026.
The note sent to the extraordinary commissioner, Massimo Ferrarese, arrives before the visit to Taranto by part of the Games Coordination Commission, scheduled for 20 to 23 June and convened to define the calendar and sports programme. Furthermore, the representative of the International Committee recalls that, in order not to damage the approximately 4 thousand 500 expected at the event, no venue for competitions and training must be located at a distance greater than 35 kilometers from the so-called Mediterranean Village, «which will be located in the Port of Taranto”. With this emphasis, however, Bello effectively confirms that the athletes will be accommodated on a cruise ship.
Stavri Bello, addressing Ferrarese, who will thus be able to easily reject the continuous requests coming from other municipalities, highlights that all this had already been decided last April 20th in Rabat, Morocco, at the end of a meeting of the ICMG Executive .
In particular, the Mediterranean Charter clearly establishes that «all sports must take place in the host city of the Games or in its immediate vicinity, unless the International Committee authorizes the organization of certain events in other cities». And, in fact, in the latest version of the masterplan, the municipalities considered by the Committee, in addition to Taranto, despite being located at a distance greater than 35 kilometers are: Avetrana; Toasts; They converse; Fasano; Francavilla Fontana; Ginosa; The third; Lecce and Sava. «No other city – it is reported verbatim from the text written in English – can be added at this stage of the preparations. During the next visit to Taranto, we will further discuss these proposals to keep as few sports as possible away from Taranto and to bring competitions and training as close as possible to the Mediterranean Village.”
And, finally, the president of the “Taranto 2026” Coordination Commission concludes as follows: «I thank you in advance for respecting these directives».
