The flags flutter slightly in the breeze, ball kids shuffle around the outskirts of the court, and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg takes his seat. Raphael Calzi tosses the ball into the air and smashes a serve over the net. An action the Luxembourger has done more than a thousand times, but rarely on an occasion so special. Calzi has just initiated play at the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE). A meeting of the continent’s smallest national entities, where athletes can flex their athletic prowess against their similar sized neighbors.
“It’s always special,” admits Calzi. “It’s for your country and the whole atmosphere is kind of like a small Olympics.” The event is the sporting epitome of the saying, “pick on someone your own size.” Participation is only open to countries with an active national Olympic committee and population of less than one million people. The unique multi-sport competition has been held biannually since 1985, bar a cancellation induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The spirit of the games is one of the best of all competitions in the world,” declared Maltese squash coach and player Bradley Hindle-Deguara. “The camaraderie is positive. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses as long as best effort has taken place in the spirit of the game. The results are secondary.”
Indeed, the camaraderie of the micro-states was on full display at the Marsa Sports Complex. Athletes chatted happily with one another before matches, officials mingled in between coaching and organizing duties, and dignitaries made their way to the venue to take in the competition. “All the teams know each other over the years, so there’s a really healthy camaraderie or respect,” affirmed Hindle-Deguara. “Everyone here is very proud and patriotic to represent their country.”
Grand Duke
Many of the nations taking part in the event send less than ten athletes to each edition of the Olympic Games. The GSSE provides athletes with a rare opportunity to experience that much coveted Olympic feel. “In our countries, in all the small nations, these games are very publicized,” explained squash player Sandra Denis from Luxembourg. “We are not a well known sport in Luxembourg, so we are so happy and proud be here.” She added, “The Grand Duke was here this morning! For us, that is such an opportunity to make our sport known, represent it, speak the press, and make an impression on youngsters who are interested in playing sports.”
Doping test
Denis produced her own particularly peculiar moment after her quarterfinal victory in the women’s singles event. Following the match, she was asked to undertake a doping test by officials. She responded not with the bemusement and resignation normally displayed by athletes at major events, but with genuine excitement and intrigue. “It’s another experience I’ve never done, so I find that quite exciting,” exclaimed Denis. She noted that players had been educated on the dangers of doping and briefed on the testing process, but had rarely been selected for tests given the low stature of her sport in Luxembourg. “It’s a part of international sports nowadays, which is a shame,” continued Denis. “I think it helps to keep the sport clean and it forces athletes to think about what they are doing and not cheat on how they get their performance.” Her experience served as a jovial reminder of just how unique the competition is for the athletes.
The event features a compact schedule of sports. There are six core individual sports: athletics, judo, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis, along with two core team sports: basketball and volleyball. The host country is allowed to include one Olympic and one non-Olympic sport on the program. Malta chose to include two individual sports: sailing and squash.
All eyes were on the host country during opening day festivities. Maltese school children packed the tennis courts, while family members and friends funneled into the squash venue. A grand opening ceremony in the evening officially opened the event. The open-air ceremony was attended by numerous national dignitaries and IOC members including, Prince Albert of Monaco, Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. There was dancing, orchestral sets, fireworks, and the ever-present symbolic flame of multi-sport games. The spectacle served as a powerful reminder of the power of sport. It also set the stage for the next week of competition, which will undoubtedly be fiercely contested in order to answer the question, “who is the best amongst the smallest”.