Algeria: Embarrassing Botched up Organization of Mediterranean Games Oran 2022
Secretary General of ICMG, Mr. Lakovos Filippousis, sent on June 27, 2022 a letter to Aziz Derouaz, Head of Algerian Organizing Committee of the 2022 Mediterranean Games, which have been tainted by chaotic organization that left bad impressions among members of the Mediterranean family.
According to Lakovos Filippousis, transportation services in Oran were a total failure. About sixty members of the ICMG executive committee, including presidents and secretaries general of the Olympic committees & International Federations, as well as other distinguished guests of the Mediterranean Games were unable to arrive at the stadium on time as scheduled.
They reached the stadium after many hours delay. They even missed the Games opening ceremony. Their security and safety have been seriously compromised at the entrance gates as they were forced their way through the crowd into the stadium. There were no entry gates for the Mediterranean family nor priority pathways for women, children, the elderly and vulnerable people.
This is not acceptable. The ICMG and the whole Mediterranean sports family feel offended by these outrageous unprecedented organizational failures.
They were also greatly disappointed by the total, unprecedented absence of volunteers, as well as by the inability of the organizers to provide medical assistance, drinking water, quality food and good tap water flow.
Furthermore, the Mediterranean sports family was upset by unacceptable decision of Algerian authorities to deny entry to several members of the international press accredited by the OCMG, as well as by the absence of sports facilities in the Olympic village, which are essential for athletes training to avoid spending long hours in uncomfortable transportation vehicles and traffic jams before reaching the stadiums.