The General Assembly of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games, meeting in Castellaneta Marina in the province of Taranto, has elected Francesco Purromuto by acclamation as the new ICMG President for the next four-year term.

Delegates from all 26 countries affiliated to the international organisation took part in the vote.

Purromuto, who served as President of the Italian Handball Federation from 1997 to 2017 and was previously Chairman of the ICMG Legal and Ethics Commission, succeeds Davide Tizzano, who died prematurely at the end of 2025. In recent months, the Committee had been led on an interim basis by its First Vice-President, Tunisia’s Mehrez Boussayene.

Purromuto thanked the Assembly for its confidence and expressed his satisfaction at being elected.

“I am honoured to have become President of this great organisation. I renew my gratitude to the ICMG and, above all, to CONI, President Buonfiglio and Secretary General Carlo Mornati.

“I promise to devote commitment, passion and dedication to achieving the objectives we have set ourselves. We are one great family. We represent different cultures, but we share the same values and the same goals.

“We must safeguard one of the founding principles of the Olympic Movement, the autonomy of sport: it is not a privilege, it is a responsibility. We will act in a spirit of co-operation and respect. We are living through a period in which we must preserve our identity without turning our backs on innovation, with the aim of seizing new opportunities. There are necessary changes that can no longer be postponed.”

CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio also attended the meeting and delivered an opening address to the Assembly.

“It is a great honour for Italy to welcome the ICMG General Assembly to Taranto on the eve of the 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games. The opportunity to host this important event for the fourth time in Italy confirms the strong bond between our country and the movement it represents, as well as the values that inspire it: friendship, respect, co-operation and solidarity.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to the Italian Government, Ministers Andrea Abodi and Tommaso Foti, European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, the Region, the Municipality, Massimo Ferrarese, Carlo Molfetta and the entire Organising Committee, as well as all the institutions involved. Their support, together with the commitment and efforts made over these years, has been fundamental in addressing and overcoming the difficulties and making the organisation of this event possible.

“As we also demonstrated with the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Italy knows how to work as a team and achieve the most ambitious objectives.

“At this moment, our thoughts turn to Davide Tizzano, an unforgettable figure within our movement. A two-time Olympic champion, sports administrator and President, and above all a man of great passion, Davide embodied sport with vision, ability and generosity.

“His passing has left a profound void, but his example continues to live on through the projects he supported, the values he defended and the people he inspired.

“Italy renews its commitment to the interests of the Mediterranean movement, with the aim of promoting dialogue, inclusion, education and peace.

“The Assembly’s decisions must help identify the most appropriate paths for the future of the event, responding to the needs arising from the historical context in which we are living and the challenges that define it.

“With the motto ‘Embrace the Future’, Taranto 2026 is looking ahead through unity and a shared vision. Our hope is that these Games will leave a positive legacy for future generations.”

The CONI delegation also included Alessio Palombi and Giampiero Pastore, respectively Head of Olympic Preparation and Head of the Institute of Sports Medicine and Science.

Others in attendance included Taranto Mayor Piero Bitetti; Carlo Molfetta, Director General of the Organising Committee; EOC President Spyros Capralos, who delivered a message on behalf of the International Olympic Committee; Mustapha Berraf, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa; and IOC Member Aya Medany, the former Egyptian modern pentathlete.

During the meeting, the Assembly also established the new Executive Committee.

Mehrez Boussayene of Tunisia was elected by acclamation as First Vice-President, Bernard Amsalem of France as Second Vice-President, Iakovos Filippousis of Greece as Secretary General and Panayotis Ioannides of Cyprus as Treasurer.

The following seven members were also elected: Yasser Idris of Egypt, Maja Peković of Montenegro, Pedro Farromba of Portugal, Cayetano Cornet of Spain, Abdellatif Idmahamma of Morocco, Blaž Perko of Slovenia and Ayda Uluç of Türkiye.