The 2021 Mediterranean Games have been postponed until 2022 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The joint decision was made on Tuesday by the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (CIJM) and the Algerian government.

The games were scheduled to take place in Oran, Algeria from 25 June to 5 July next year. This decision comes after organisers postponed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until 2021.

“This responsible decision was made by the two parties after consultation and thorough evaluation of current circumstances all around the world, strongly impacted by the unprecedented spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused the postponement of numerous international sports events, at the forefront of which are the Tokyo Olympic Games, rescheduled, at the latest, for the summer of 2021,” CIJM said.

The games are a multi-sport event held every four years, which brings together athletes from 26 nations from the Mediterranean region.

The exact dates of the Oran Mediterranean Games, in 2022, will be announced shortly, after consultation of the ICMG with the organizing committee.

Algeria has seen 584 cases of COVID-19 as of 1 April with 35 deaths so far.