Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/315336
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 MAY 2014 Sport 26 MOTORSPORTS VOLLEYBALL World Sitting Volley Championships' appointment for local referee LOCAL international sitting volleyball referee Nello Calleja has been appointed by World ParaVolley as one of the referees for the Sitting Volleyball World Championships (Men & Women) which are going to be held in El- blag, Poland, between the 15th and 21st June 2014. Mr. Calleja will be one of a team of thirt y international ref- erees coming from five different continents who will be officiat- ing during this competition, held every four years, and which this year will be held at the Sports and Business Centre in Elblag, a town around 60 km east of Gdansk in northern Poland. Mr. Calleja, who is also General Secretary of the newly founded ParaVolley Malta, will also repre- sent the latter during the World ParaVolley General Assembly which will be held during the same event. Sixteen men's national teams will be divided into four groups, with Poland, Algeria, Ukraine and China in Group A, Iran, Iraq, Egypt and USA in Group B, Bos- nia and Herzegovina together with Brazil, Kazakhstan and Croatia in Group C, and Russia, Germany, Morocco and the Neth- erlands in Group D. Iran won the World Championships held four years ago in Oklahoma, U.S.A., but were beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina two years ago in the London 2012 Olympic Games' fi- nal. In the women's competition, twelve teams will be divided in two groups, with Poland, USA, Slovenia, Finland, Great Britain and Russia in Group A, whilst China, Ukraine, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands will fight it out in Group B. China, current World and Olympic Champions, start as favourites for the title, but runners' up the United States, and current Euro- pean champions Russia, all stand a chance at repeating or improv- ing on the standings of four years ago. Once can follow the competition by going to https://www.facebook. com/Elblag2014.en?fref=ts ASMK Gozo Enduro on Sunday and More Overseas Competitions ASMK is very busy both locally and abroad over this weekend. Next Sunday 25th May ASMK will be organizing the 5th Enduro event at the limits of id-Dwejra ta' l-Ghansar in San Lawrenz, Gozo. This event is supported and sponsored by Dun- lop Tyres - Malta, KTM, Thomas Smith Insurance and the Ministry for Gozo. ASMK also thanks fam- ily Apap of Victoria for intervening with the site owners Ta' Muha and Ta' Swis who helped in making this Gozo event possible. Last weekend two ASMK Enduro members made it to Sicily to com- pete in another FMI Championship event. Due to continued rain show- ers the event was cancelled but An- drew Cassar and Matthieu Salomon drove with other Sicilian riders to another locality and exercised fur- ther practice there. On Sunday 25th May 3 ASMK Motocross Riders will be compet- ing in different classes in the FMI Regional Motocross Championship. Clayton Camilleri and Paul Muscat riding KTM's and Edward Ciantar on a Kawasaki will be competing in different classes in this event which is to be held in Franco Villa – Valle al Cantara Race Complex in Messi- na. Travelling of the competitors is assisted by Virtu Ferries. Also this weekend, Drag racers Luke Farrugia and Shawn Butti- gieg will be competing in the FIM- Europe SuperStreet bikes Champi- onship with top European racers. These races are held in Santa Pod in England. Luke and Shawn who ride powerful Suzuki Hyabusa motorcycles run the Quarter Mile strip in the low 7.2 seconds starting from rest. Practice sessions are held this Saturday while the Elimina- tions will be run on Sunday. ASMK wishes success to all competitors performing in foreign land. This last Saturday ASMK success- fully organised the 14th National Autocross Championship event at the ASMK Ta Qali Sport Complex from 7.00pm till late. Unfortunate- ly, the Motocross races scheduled to start at 4.00pm were cancelled for safety reasons. Yet, 31 Autocross competitors registered for this tra- ditional Night Event run under ar- tificial lights. Next night event is scheduled for the 31st May with the Motocross starting at 4.30pm. The Autocross starts at 7.00pm A brief look at last Saturday's Autocross Lucas Oil Class A Races where Melo Zammit on a Ford Es- cort, Jason Martin on a Volkswagen Polo, Ryan Scerri on an Opel Corsa, Gordon Johnson on a Peugeot 205, Christian Mark Galea on a Fiat Ritmo and Lennie Cortis on his Fiat Uno qualified for the prestig- ious Class A Finals. From the Start Galea took the lead followed by Zammit, Martin and Scerri while Johnson's car was locked on the tyre barriers on the first corner. This did not stop Johnson from performing excellent on the track. Lap after lap Johnson passed four (4) competitors in a skillful way and soon caught on the race leader Galea which drew the attention of all present. But at the end of the nine Lap race Galea cross the Fin- ish ahead of Johnson's Peugeot and Martin's VW Polo. Melo Zammit is 4th yet he is now unbeatable in the National Championship. The Autocross 'Lucas Oil Class B' competitors were Godwin Martin on Opel Corsa, Andrew Pisani on a Vauxhall Nova, Kurt Sammut on a Ford Ka, Josef Grech on a Ford Fi- esta, Duncan Delia on Ford Fiesta and Philip Joe Vella on a Vauxhall Nova. From the Start Sammut took the race lead just ahead of Vella and Pisani. This lead did not last long as Sammut was then forced to retire due to an electrical fault in his rac- er. Then Vella took the lead ahead of challenging Pisani right to the finish. Grech on his Fiesta finished in 3rd place and ahead of Delia's Fiesta while Martin's Opel retired too due to a mechanical failure. Gozo Autocross driver Joseph Vella on a Fiesta won the Gozo Autocross class. Next Autocross Night Event is scheduled for the 31st May from 7.00pm. Most Heats and the Finals will be run under artificial lighting on tracks. The Motocross races start at 4.30pm. Details, reports and oth- er data can be found at www.asmk. org.mt