FIS President Gian Franco Kasper attended the meeting of the Board of the International Masters Games Association (IMGA) in Bled (SLO) last weekend.
Following six previous editions of the World Masters Games starting in 1985 in Toronto (CAN), the first-ever World Winter Masters Games will be held in Bled from 25th-31st January 2010. The sports that will be included are Cross-Country Skiing, Alpine Skiing and Ski Jumping along with Biathlon, Ice Hockey and Indoor Football/Futsal. Over the recent years Bled and the surrounding area has hosted many high level winter events, including annual FIS World Cup events in Planica for Ski Jumping and Kranjska Gora for Alpine Skiing. The Biathlon World Championships were held in Pokljuka in 2003, the site where the Cross-Country events are planned in 2010.
No other multi-sport event in the world attracts as many participants as the World Masters Games. Some 35’000 participants are expected in the next summer edition in Sydney in 2009. The Masters Games’ aim is to promote the philosophy of ‘sport for life.’ Notably, the term ‘Masters’ does not denote a level of proficiency or a particular achievement since the competitors are only required to meet the age criteria specific for each discipline. For more information, visit http://www.2010mastersgames.com
Source: FIS
