Islamic Solidarity Games
The Islamic Solidarity Games (Arabic: ألعاب التضامن الإسلامي) is a multinational, multi-sport event. The Games involve the elite athletes of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation who compete in a variety of sports. The Solidarity Games were initially created to strengthen Islamic camaraderie and reinforce the values of Islam, primarily to the youth.[1] The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the organization that is responsible for the direction and control of the Islamic Solidarity Games.[2] The ISSF strives to improve Islamic solidarity, promote Islamic identity in sports and help reduce discrimination toward Muslims.[1]
| ألعاب التضامن الإسلامي | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ISG |
| First event | 2005 Islamic Solidarity Games in Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| Occur every | Four years |
| Last event | 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Next event | 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Turkey |
| Purpose | Multi-sport event for member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation |
| Headquarters | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Organization | Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation |
| Website | issf |
History
The original idea for the Solidarity Games comes from Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, during the Third Islamic Summit in 1981.[1] The first Solidarity games was held in 2005 in Saudi Arabia and there are currently 57 members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.[3] In 2005, the games were male-only with 7,000 athletes from fifty-four countries competing in thirteen different sports.[4] Females are now allowed to participate in the games but compete on different days than men.[5] Non-Muslim citizens in the member countries are also allowed to take part in the Games. It was said to have the most participants for a sporting event aside from the Olympic Games.[1]
A second event, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009 in Iran, and later rescheduled for April 2010, was canceled after a dispute arose between Iran and the Arab World over the use of the term Persian Gulf in logos for the Games, as some countries in the Arab world use the fictitious term "Arabian Gulf" to refer to the Persian Gulf. Dispute over the name has been a recurring source of disharmony between Arab states and Iran.[6] The latest edition took place in Baku, on 12–22 May 2017.[7][8]
With the level of political fragmentation, the deficiencies in economic development in many Muslim countries, and the financial cost of the Islamic Solidarity games, the longevity of the games will be a big challenge.[1]
Editions
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| Edition | Year | Host City | Host Nation | Opened by | Start Date | End Date | Nations | Competitors | Sports | Events | Top placed country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2005 | Mecca |  |
Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | 8 April | 20 April | 54[4] | 7000[4] | 15 | 108 | |
| II | 2010 | Tehran |  |
Cancelled | |||||||
| III | 2013 | Palembang |  |
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | 22 September | 1 October | 44 | 1769 | 13 | 183 | |
| IV | 2017 | Baku |  |
President Ilham Aliyev | 12 May | 22 May | 54 | 21 | 268 | | |
| V | 2021[9] | Konya |  |
Future event | |||||||
| VI | 2025 | Islamabad |  |
Future event | |||||||
Sports
27 sports have been presented in the Islamic Solidarity Games.
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Medal count
As of 2017
| Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 95 | 100 | 110 | 305 |
| 2 | | 85 | 63 | 53 | 201 |
| 3 | | 79 | 52 | 56 | 187 |
| 4 |  | 46 | 51 | 49 | 146 |
| 5 | | 43 | 64 | 59 | 166 |
| 6 | | 35 | 21 | 31 | 87 |
| 7 |  | 31 | 22 | 37 | 90 |
| 8 |  | 25 | 26 | 33 | 84 |
| 9 |  | 15 | 28 | 42 | 85 |
| 10 |  | 15 | 17 | 31 | 63 |
| 11 |  | 15 | 13 | 18 | 46 |
| 12 |  | 14 | 6 | 8 | 28 |
| 13 |  | 13 | 17 | 13 | 43 |
| 14 |  | 7 | 5 | 14 | 26 |
| 15 |  | 6 | 7 | 12 | 25 |
| 16 |  | 6 | 2 | 16 | 24 |
| 17 |  | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 |
| 18 |  | 4 | 3 | 23 | 30 |
| 19 |  | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| 20 |  | 3 | 5 | 15 | 23 |
| 21 | | 3 | 3 | 9 | 15 |
| 22 |  | 2 | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| 23 |  | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 24 |  | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 |
| 25 |  | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
| 26 |  | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 27 |  | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 28 |  | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 29 |  | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 32 |  | 0 | 4 | 9 | 13 |
| 33 |  | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 34 |  | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 35 |  | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 36 |  | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 37 |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 40 |  | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 42 |  | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 43 |  | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 44 |  | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (45 NOCs) | 559 | 555 | 723 | 1837 | |
See also
References
- Amara, Mahfoud (2008). "The Muslim World in the Global Sporting Arena". Brown Journal of World Affairs. XIV: 2 – via Academic Search Complete.
- designthemes. "Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation | Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation". issf.sa. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "Islamic Solidarity Games". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "The Islamic Games: 'Love, friendship and humility'". The Independent. 2005-04-10. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- "The problem Islamic Solidarity Games begin in Baku". Turan Information Agency. May 11, 2017.
- Ap, Riyadh (17 January 2010). "Islamic Solidarity Games cancelled after gulf row divides nations". London: Guardian/Associated Press. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- "Baku wins the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games hosting bid". Hürriyet Daily News. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
- "Baku 2017". www.baku2017.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "New dates for Islamic Solidarity Games announced". The Nation. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
