Oran 2022 Mediterranean Games concluded marking Algerian National Independence Day

Let’s talk about the Oran 2022 Mediterranean Games! Which were successfully concluded yesterday at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Stadium at 9:00 pm Oran time in a festive closing ceremony marking the Algerian National Independence Day.

 

The 19th edition of the Games started on 25 June to 6 July 2022 in Oran, Algeria, with the participation of 24 countries and over 3,390 athletes taking part in 24 sports and 234 events, the fans enjoyed the return of live sports in full capacity as stadiums were full on opening and closing ceremonies.

 

Team Italy lead the general medal count with 159 coloured medals in total. While Turkiye was second with 108 medals, and France third with a total of 81 medals (full result list here).

 

HISTORY OF ORAN 2022The Mediterranean Games are a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every 4 years for athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The first Mediterranean Games were held in 1951 in Alexandria, Egypt. Oran was announced host city at the ICMG General Assembly in Pescara, Italy, on 15 August 2015.

 

MEDITERRANEAN RECORDS SET With swimmer Lisa Angiolini's (Italy) record in the women's 50m breaststroke is among a plethora of successes for team Italy. Swimmer Lana Pudar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) won the gold medal and as well set a Mediterranean record in 100m. In addition to another gold medal in 200m butterfly women, making it two gold medals at only 16 years of age.

 

TEAM MOROCCO MEDIA INCIDENT Before the beginning of the Games, a problem encountered 9 journalists accompanying the Moroccan delegation who were denied entry at Oran International Airport, and after over 30 hours of wait, they ended up going back home. This incident, which according to the Algerian story "the 9 journalists did not register in the digital accreditation platform" according to Khalid Mazouzi, senior Algerian broadcast journalist in AL24 TV. But according to one of the Moroccan journalists involved: "it was a political move by the state of Algeria for alleged 'espionage'".

 

Regardless, this incident didn't go unnoticed by the national and international community, condemning any mixing of sports with politics, also, many Algerian media professionals denounced the misinformation and fabrication and attack of fellow Moroccan journalists which happened over this topic.

 

FILMING GEAR HELD Meanwhile, 9 other TV Journalists who weren't part of the official delegation entered with no problem, but the film crew had an issue where they needed to wait for 10 days in Oran to take their filming gear which was held for 'authorization' by authority.

 

THE SITUATION FOR MEDIA Talking about the level of the Games and the situation for media covering the event in an interview with Khalid Mazouzi, a senior Algerian broadcast journalist in AL24 TV:

 

The biggest achievement made for media in Oran was the International Media Center, which opened on the evening of the opening ceremony of Oran 2022, which is a modern media centre with everything that a journalist needs to work, the centre contained flat screens displaying different sports events to allow those who are unable to move to other stadiums to follow.

As for transportation, there was heavy traffic in Oran and neighbouring cities on competitions days not just in football matches but a number of sports events due to the number of fans attending the Games, but journalists were smart to depart to the venues early before traffic jams start. As for accommodation, Oran is a big city, and there were multiple hotels dedicated to media, while a number of local journalists preferred to stay in a Bed & Breakfast type of stay to cut down costs.

 

I would say the obstacles I faced most were the traffic jams, and crowding of curious fans at entrances and parking lots of stadiums which is understandable after fans in Algeria were deprived of watching live sports for a while after Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“I have followed Football competitions for Men’s group ‘A’ where Algeria played very tough games with Spain, Morocco and France where the latter were crowned champions of the Oran 2022 in football, the level was good and the number of fans was impressive. One of the toughest games Algeria played was the one with Spain, there were many Serie A athletes who play in the La Liga compared to the Algerian team. The Miloud Hadefi Stadium vibes were amazing on the grand finale game between Italy and France, where France won 1-0”

 

“The level of competition was very high, International champions and Olympians have participated, proven that Oran witnessed the breaking of Mediterranean records specifically in swimming competitions, and in the light of returning of fans in stadiums, especially in popular games like football, sport has returned to life again.”

 

Oran is the second biggest coastal city in Algeria after the capital Alger, positioned in the northern-west of Algeria, bordering Morocco, Oran witnessed a lot of structural development in sports facilities since it won the rights to host the Games back in 2015, it is the destination of many for sport, culture and historical sightseeing making it a convenient host for an event in such importance.