1,000 athletes compete in Games of the Small States of Europe in Malta

STORY: 1,000 athletes compete in Games of the Small States of Europe in Malta DATELINE: May 30, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:20 LOCATION: Valletta CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of opening ceremony STORYLINE: Roughly 1,000 athletes from nine European countries have congregated in Malta for the 19th edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), which kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony on Monday. These athletes hail from Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, and San Marino. They are set to compete across 10 sporting disciplines from Monday through June 3. The GSSE is an exclusive competition for European countries with populations under one million, with the aim to level the playing field concerning demographics and resources. The sports on the program include athletics, table tennis, sailing, basketball, rugby sevens, judo, shooting, squash, swimming, and tennis. During the opening ceremony, Malta's Prime Minister, Robert Abela, welcomed the te