Gibraltar will withdraw from the Strait Games and no longer participate in this annual event.

The Minister for Sport, the Hon Steven Linares is writing to the Mayors of the cities that participate in the Strait Games to inform them officially that Gibraltar will no longer participate at this annual event. La Linea has already done the same.

The Games, which were founded in 1998 and will have their 23rd edition in Ceuta later this year, also include Algeciras, Los Barrios, San Roque and Tarifa. La Linea communicated its decision to stop participating to the organisers in October 2019.

The Minister for Sport Steven Linares said:

“The Strait Games are no longer as relevant to Gibraltar as they were at the time when the decision was first taken to participate. Relationships between our sporting bodies and those in the neighbouring towns now flourish outside and independently from the Games.

The decision to withdraw from the Games will allow the Government and the GSLA to concentrate time and resources in the development of local sport, following the huge investment in facilities that has taken place. We will continue to provide all our associations with the necessary support to continue to enhance their excellent junior programmes that are in the main led by volunteers who give up of their time unselfishly.”