The XIII Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) are being held the first week of June in Cyprus. These games were organized by the smallest countries in Europe to give them a chance to compete in various Olympic-style events and competitions. This year’s games are being held across the island of Cyprus and run from June 1st through the 6th, when the closing ceremonies will take place at the GSP sports complex in Nicosia.
This is the second time that Cyprus has hosted the GSSE, with the first being in 1989. The games were first held in 1985 and are every two years, and there are now 12 sports. The criteria for participating are that a country must have less than one million in population and have an autonomous National Olympic Committee. Currently, there are eight states that compete in the games: Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco and San Marino.
This year’s games are being held in three major locations on Cyprus: Nicosia, Limassol and Machairas. The capital city of Nicosia will host the majority of events, with Limassol hosting sailing, gymnastics and swimming, and MachairasNational Park in the middle of the island having the mountain biking competition.
The GSSE provides some great competition and also is occurring during an ideal time to be on the island.
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