ANKARA

The 19th Mediterranean Games (Oran 2022), set to be held in Algeria, are beginning on Saturday. 

The official opening ceremony will last until July 6 in the seaside Oran city's Olympic stadium.

Approximately 3,400 athletes from 26 countries will compete in a total of 24 branches at the Olympic Stadium.

In the previous games of 2018, which took place in Tarragona, Spain, the total number of athletes was around 4,000, while competitors numbered 3,064 in Mersin, Türkiye in 2013, 3,371 in Pescara, Italy in 2009, and 3,214 in 2005 Almeria, another Spanish city.

Participating in the Mediterranean Games with 321 athletes, Türkiye are sporting the third-largest group in the competition, following Italy with 371, and hosts Algeria with 324.

In Tarragona, Türkiye fielded 345 athletes and won 95 medals, including 31 gold, 25 silver, and 39 bronze.

The Mediterranean Games, a multisport event organized by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM), is held every four years among countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia, and Europe.