COMEBA was present at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, where badminton once again formed part of one of the main multi-sport events in the Mediterranean region.
The competition brought together 15 countries, with strong European participation and representation from Africa. The challenge for future editions will be to broaden this representation further and also bring in the Mediterranean countries of Asia, thereby strengthening the truly Mediterranean character of the competition.
The tournament was held at the BDM Francavilla Sport Hall in Francavilla Fontana, a venue well prepared to host international badminton and offering excellent conditions for athletes, officials and spectators.
Beyond the sporting competition, Taranto provided COMEBA with an important opportunity to strengthen relations with national federations, international organisations and sports authorities from across the Mediterranean region.
COMEBA was strongly represented throughout the Games. Those present included Andoni Azurmendi, President of COMEBA; Ratko Galjer, Vice-President of COMEBA; Ioannis Kapos, President of the Hellenic Badminton Federation and COMEBA Board Member; Shehab Yehia, from Egypt and Vice-President of COMEBA; Jo’Anne Cassar, from Malta and Secretary General of COMEBA; and Mario Carulla, Board Member of both Badminton Europe and COMEBA.
Also present was Enrico La Rosa, Secretary General of the Italian Badminton Federation and Vice-President of COMEBA, whose role was particularly relevant with this edition of the Mediterranean Games being hosted in Italy.
Another important presence was Lulzim Haziri, President of the Kosovo Badminton Federation, representing the country that will host the next Mediterranean Games in Kosovo 2030. His participation provided an important link between Taranto 2026 and the next edition of this major sporting event for our region.
Throughout the Games, meetings and exchanges also took place with representatives of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) and the Badminton World Federation (BWF), as well as with national federations and sports authorities.
Among these institutional meetings were exchanges with Iakovos Filippousis, Secretary General of the ICMG, as well as Hamza Yerlikaya, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Türkiye, and Ercan Yıldız, President of the Turkish Badminton Federation.
COMEBA also took part in the medal ceremonies, including the presentation of the men’s singles medals to Italian player Fabio Caponio, in front of a packed venue and an enthusiastic home crowd.
Taranto 2026 once again demonstrated the potential of badminton within the Mediterranean Games and the importance of these events as a platform for international exchange, cooperation and the development of our sport.
Looking ahead to the next Mediterranean Games in Kosovo 2030, one of the key objectives will be to achieve an even broader and more balanced representation of all three continents, with particular emphasis on increasing the participation of Mediterranean countries from Africa and Asia.
For COMEBA, ensuring that Europe, Africa and Asia are increasingly well represented will be essential to continue growing the competition and strengthening badminton’s presence at each future edition of the Mediterranean Games.
Achieving this will require sustained work over the coming years across all areas, including sports development, international relations, governance, events, and cooperation with national federations and international organisations.
Taranto 2026 marked another important step forward for Mediterranean badminton. The work towards Kosovo 2030 now begins, with the aim of continuing to grow, expanding participation and consolidating badminton’s place within the Mediterranean Games
