Bryn! This is what I’ve managed to find out. The definite article (the) is omitted with certain nouns when they refer to a general purpose, an institution or a proper event, rather than a specific physical object. When you use a noun this way, you focus on the activity or concept tied to the word, instead of a single specific thing. Hope this helps.
Another anomaly that puzzles me is the reference to “games”, like Olympic or European, in the singular, eg “this games”. That’s another peculiarity of the English language. Keeps it interesting though, and fascinating!