The 2021 Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) may be more than a year away, but the Andorra National Olympic Committee is set to table a recommendation to the country’s government to postpone the biennial sports festival, the Times of Malta can reveal.
The Andorra National Olympic Committee has sent a letter to all participating countries of next year’s Games, including the Maltese Olympic Committee, to inform them that the 2021 edition has been postponed due to “the current economic and sportive situation” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter signed by president Jaume Marti Mandico, the Andorra Olympic Committee said that a meeting of the JPEE of Andorra 2021 will be held on Thursday to discuss the recommendation and will inform the other nations with their final decision.
Although the Andorra National Olympic Committee did not divulge any more details of their plan, sources close to the governing body told the Times of Malta that they are planning to suggest to the country’s authorities to postpone the Games by four years and will stage the event in 2025.
GSSE Bureau
At present, the GSSE Bureau have yet to announce who will be hosting the 2025 Games and therefore it is likely that Andorra’s request of holding the sports festival that year will be accepted by the delegates of the other countries during the next meeting.
Should the Andorran government give its nod, the next edition of the GSSE will be held in Malta in 2023.
For Andorra, the 2021 edition would have been the third time that the microstate on the Iberian Peninsula would have hosted the Games after playing as hosts in 1987 and in 2005.
The 2021 Games were due to be held mainly in the capital city of La Vella between May 31 and June 5.
It is understood that Andorra couldn’t postpone the Games by just a few months as in 2021 the sporting calendar is full of activities, including the staging of the Tokyo Olympics that have been delayed by 12 months.
Added to that, the participating small countries will also be competing in a number of continental championships in various disciplines, such as track and field and basketball which would make it almost impossible to take part in both events.
Next year’s edition in Andorra was set to have a number of novelties.
In fact, Andorra’s list of sport for next year’s Games included a number disciplines that were set to make a first appearance in the Games, such as taekwondo, karate and basketball 3×3.
