The Postal Union for the Mediterranean (PUMed) was established in 2011 by 14 postal operators across the Mediterranean region. Today, PUMed consists of 20 member countries with its headquarters in Malta.
Faced with a constantly evolving postal industry, the mission of PUMed is to promote and protect the collective interests of member countries and develop projects that will assist each postal operator to keep up with the challenges of the market.
This year again, MaltaPost has fellow members in the issue of a new set of postage stamps bearing a common theme - "Sports in the Mediterranean". The Euromed series is an annual commitment that began in 2014, along the lines of the Europa stamp issues, and is part of the Euromed Postal Joint Stamp Project. The 2 MaltaPost stamps feature traditional Maltese sport activities, specifically horse racing and the brilli game.
Horse racing has a tradition in Malta that generates excitement and joy to many. It is a family pastime passed down generations. A typical race-day experience is filled with vibrant colours, loud cheers, extrovert jockeys and the thunderous galloping of horses.
The 0.38 stamp shows a horse and jockey speeding down a racetrack. The rider is Angelo Agius (1920-2017), known as "Il-Genc", a veteran Maltese jockey and horse owner from Qormi. In 2012, he received the prestigious "Lifetime Achievement" award for his distinguished career in horse racing.
The second stamp bearing denomination of 2.00, shows a group of three adults enjoying an outdoor game of brilli which is a local version of skittles unique to the island of Gozo. The setting is a rural path in the countryside of Gozo. The game pre-dates the arrival in Malta of the Knights of St. John. Although it has simple rules, its intriguing scoring structure and strategic gameplay all contribute to its addictive nature.
