The clock struck the right time and the countdown to the Portimão-Lagoa 2027 Mediterranean Beach Games has officially begun. One year from now, the Opening Ceremony of the first Mediterranean Games event to be hosted in Portugal will take place.
To mark the occasion, an event was held at the Santa Catarina Fortress in Portimão, bringing together the Organising Committee, the Mayors of the municipalities involved, partners, members of the media and guests who joined this special moment.
“This is the first time that our country is hosting a competition of this scale,” began the President of the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP), Fernando Gomes. “This fills us with great pride, but also with a great sense of responsibility.” The Organising Committee’s goal is clear – to organise the best Mediterranean Beach Games ever.
Beyond the sporting competition, the COP President also sees the event as an “opportunity to bring people closer together, turning differences into strength. And transforming sport into a language that we all understand.” Fernando Gomes also highlighted the legacy that the competition will leave, stressing that “the true value will remain afterwards, in the people.”
The International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) was represented by its President, Francesco Purromuto, and Secretary General, Iakovos Filippousis.
In his address, the ICMG President expressed his confidence in the progress of preparations for the competition and recalled the recently concluded Mediterranean Games in Taranto, looking ahead to next year’s sporting competition in the Algarve. “Taranto is still fresh in our memory, but today we begin a new chapter of the Mediterranean Games here in Portimão and Lagoa,” he said, thanking the Olympic athletes who connected Italy and Portugal by car and boat.
Government authorities reaffirm their support for the organisation of the competition
Pedro Dias, Secretary of State for Sport, was present at the event in Portimão and highlighted the pride associated with Portugal hosting major international events: “We have the infrastructure, we have the experience, we have the organisational capacity, we have unique natural conditions. And, above all, we have people and institutions deeply committed to the development of Sport,” he said in his address.
He also praised the spirit of unity involved in this type of sporting event: “One year from now, Portimão and Lagoa will be the meeting point for hundreds of athletes from different sports, countries and cultures, united by the values of Sport, but also by a shared commitment to promoting the territories influenced by the Mediterranean.”
Álvaro Bila, Mayor of Portimão, expressed his willingness to open the doors of his “home” to the event, describing it as both an “opportunity” and a “responsibility” for Portimão. On the one hand, it is an “opportunity to show the world who we are, to promote our identity internationally and to leave a sporting and urban legacy for those who live here”. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of “being up to the challenge of hosting” such an important competition.
Luís Encarnação, Mayor of Lagoa, highlighted the unity between the two banks of the Arade River, stating that “intermunicipal cooperation is the driving force behind strengthening the Algarve’s international profile”. He also reaffirmed his “total, rigorous and unwavering commitment. We are preparing the municipality, our infrastructure and our teams to ensure that this edition is not just another event, but an unforgettable experience for everyone who visits us.”
The day also marked the arrival of the REPSOL Lighthouse Journey by BMW
After 15 days and more than 4,500 kilometres, the Lighthouse Journey connecting Taranto, Italy, with Lagoa and Portimão came to an end.
João Pereira, who completed the journey by car, collected seawater and stopped at several iconic lighthouses across the Mediterranean basin connecting Europe and Africa. He also visited National Olympic Committees, delivering the flag of the 2027 competition.
At the same time, a symbolic journey by boat took place. The journey began in Taranto with Olympic athlete José Costa.
In Tangier, Olympic sailor Carolina João took the helm and sailed the boat to Portimão.
A journey shaped by water and light, the two elements that will guide the Portimão-Lagoa 2027 Mediterranean Beach Games. This was a symbolic journey that created an invisible link between all the countries that are part of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games, increasingly connected by the power of seawater and the light of the lighthouses.
Following the arrival of the car and boat, the COP President thanked everyone involved: “To the Olympic athletes Carolina João, João Pereira and José Costa, who over the past weeks helped connect Taranto with Lagoa and Portimão by road and water, as well as to the Portuguese Sailing Federation and partners BMW and Repsol, our sincere thanks.”
