The twentieth edition of the Mediterranean Games (3,800 participants including athletes from 26 Mediterranean countries) concludes in Taranto with record-breaking numbers. “It was the most important event ever held in Southern Italy,” says Massimo Ferrarese, president of the Games organizing committee, at the final press conference in Taranto. And Merez Boussayene, first vice president of the international Games committee, emphasizes: “Congratulations to Italy and its athletes and a gold medal also to Taranto. These sports facilities now continue to serve sport and young people. I thank the Italian Government, the Puglia Region, the city of Taranto. These results are also the result of coordination. Thanks to Italy and thanks to Taranto.”
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Beating the result of the 1997 edition in Bari
“Taranto is the edition of records – adds Carlo Molfetta, general director of the Games -: 931 medals awarded with 25 out of 26 countries winning medals. It had never happened before. Italy won 224 medals, beating the Bari result – 193 – and shattering it with 31 more medals.” In Bari, in fact, the previous edition of the Games in Puglia was held in 1997. Molfetta also speaks of “a historic medal for Andorra, which had never won a medal and succeeded in Taranto. Turkey reached its thousandth medal at the Mediterranean Games. The media engagement includes more than 10,000 articles in the Italian media and content distributed in 50 different languages. And again – notes Molfetta – more than 150 hours of Rai broadcasting, 15,000 attendees at the Fan Village, 22 million social views in August alone. Then locally, the MarTa museum reached 8,000 visitors, 3,000 young athletes were involved in side sports events, and there were more than 90,000 attendees at local side events.”
Revenues of 1.17 million
Ferrarese provides more numbers from the Games’ budget: “172,500 tickets were sold. In particular, 32,855 were for the opening and closing ceremonies and 140,000 for all other disciplines. For football matches, 47,268 tickets were sold while revenues amounted to 1.17 million euros. Also, from August 24 to 27, peak days of the Games for athlete presence, over 600 transfers were made with a fleet of 145 buses shuttling between the Mediterranean Village and the competition venues.”
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The city’s welcome and hospitality
“I must thank the city of Taranto and the people of Taranto who opened this city, opened their arms to thousands of people who did not feel like guests, but felt right at home – adds Ferrarese -. The city and the territory gave us the opportunity to achieve all this. Perhaps we caused some inconvenience and I apologize on behalf of the organizing committee.”
Regarding the dual role he had, as president of the organizing committee and commissioner of the sports facilities, Ferrarese highlights: “I could have achieved nothing as president of the committee if I had not had an exceptional board by my side.” Ferrarese then names one by one the board members: vice president Sandro Esposito, delegated councilor Bruno Campanile, Manfredi De Leo, Andrea Mancino, Francesco Romanelli, and the deputy mayor of Taranto, Mattia Giorno. “They all worked and were decisive,” notes Ferrarese, also highlighting the role played by the technical commission structure led by engineer Silvio Scarcelli.
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