Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/535515
21 Sport maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 1 JULY 2015 FOOTBALL MOTORSPORTS Cardiff to host 2017 Champions League finals, says UEFA The Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff City Stadium will host the men's and women's Champions League finals respectively in 2017 HE also confirmed that the Friends Arena in Stockholm will be the venue for the 2017 Europa League final. The executive committee of European football's governing body convened in Prague to dis- cuss the topic, and Cardiff has long been reported to be among the frontrunners for the 2017 events. The Millennium Stadium, which is owned by the Welsh Rugby Union, opened in 1999 and staged the English FA Cup finals from 2001 until 2006 while Wembley was being rebuilt. It has a capacity of 74,500 and staged matches during the Ol- ympic Games in 2012. Factfile: Millennium Stadium UEFA capacity: 74,500 Tenants: Wales, Wales rugby Opened: June 1999 • Construction on the venue, located on the site of the old National Stadium, began in 1997. Despite only being three-quarters complete, the arena hosted its first match in June 1999, the Welsh rugby side recording their maiden victory against South Africa. • Played host to the Welsh national football team for the first time on 29 March 2000. Jari Litmanen scored the stadium's first interna- tional goal in a 2-1 triumph for Finland. • Hosted the FA Cup final for a six-year spell from 2001 to 2006 with Wembley undergoing redevelopment. Arsenal FC lifted the trophy three times in the stadium and Liverpool FC twice. • Also staged the finals of other English cup competition's during Wembley's facelift and became notorious for an away-team curse. The first 11 major cup finals were all won by the side occupying the home dressing room. • The stadium is equipped with a retractable roof, comprising two sliding 400 tonne sec- tions which take 20 minutes to open or close. It is the second largest covered stadium in the world, behind Cowboys Stadium, Texas, United States. • The playing surface is made up of 7,412 squares of turf which can be removed and stored when events such as concerts take place. ASMK organises the 2015 FIM-Europe Congress in Malta DURING this week the Assoc- jazzjoni Sport Muturi u Karozzi (ASMK) will be organizing the 20th edition of the '2015 FIM- Europe Congress' in Malta at Ho- tel Excelsior. This great event of- ficially starts on Thursday 2 July to Saturday 4 July with the par- ticipation of about 300 delegates from the 47 member European Federations. Representatives of the International Federation of Motorcycles (FIM) will also be present. During the congress the FIM-E Commissions will be discussing the various subjects with regards to the Management, European Motorcycling Sporting Champi- onships including International events as well as other events related to Road Racing, Drag Racing, Motocross, Supermoto, Enduro, Trials, Track Racing, Vintage Motorcycles, the Envi- ronment, Touring and the use of motorcycles as a means of trans- port. The 3 day program includes no less than 17 different workshops with regards to the different dis- ciplines. Yet the Safety Commis- sion which is in the 9th year of- ficially running as a stand alone commission will be discussing and presenting issues related to the theme chosen for this year which is – 'the development of electronics on motorcycles both on the machine itself and when driving the motorcycle on the road as well as in Sports'. During this session Transport Malta will be presenting the local situation with regards to motorcycling in Malta. Anybody interested to at- tend this session on Friday 3rd July at 4: 30pm in Hall Bellavanti at the Hotel Excelsior in Floriana is kindly invited to apply by send- ing an email to asmk@go.net.mt The conference will be conclud- ed on Saturday 4th July afternoon when all delegates meet together and vote for decisions discussed and taken by the several commis- sions. Such decisions will start being implemented in the com- ing year. The conference closes the activities by Gala Dinner for all delegates at Verdala Palace in Buskett. For several years ASMK was a membership of the UEM (Euro- pean Motorcycle Union) which today is re-named 'FIM-Europe' and a Full Member of FIM. In 2012 the Association became a full member to the International FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) by an unani- mous vote taken in Riga. Thus the Association has become stronger and it is Internationally recognized as Malta's Federa- tion representing FIM. Following this, ASMK started to see more opportunities coming along to- wards ASMK and the Maltese motorcycling. The year 2012 was a difficult year for FIM and UEM as FIM was in the process of grouping all motorcycling sport country Federations under one umbrella. Today, all the European coun- tries, African, Asian, American and Oceania joined together with the International Federation of Motorcycles - FIM. 3 years ago ASMK has started negotiations to hold the 2015 Congress in Malta while attend- ing the FIM-E general Confer- ence in Serbia in 2012. These negotiations were supported by the Maltese Council for Sport (KMS) that at that time was un- der the leadership of Mr. Bernard Vassallo. ASMK President Frans Deguara and Johann Pace Secre- tary General held several meet- ings with the leadership of FIM Europe at that time presided by Dr. Vincenzo Mazzi, Secretary General Alessandro Sanbuco and Federation delegates from dif- ferent countries. 2013 was not an easy year too but the Maltese Council for Sport under the lead- ership of Mr. Jonathan Barbara assisted ASMK to go to Lithuania to bid for the FIM-E Conference to be held in Malta although oth- er countries wanted to take home the 2015 Conference. After a whole year of intensive preparations last year, while in Cracow – Poland, ASMK Presi- dent and Secretary General pre- sented Malta to the FIM-Europe Conference delegates as the ideal country to hold the 2015 FIM- Europe Conference. This pro- posal was unanimously approved by the delegates present and con- firmed too on the 29th September 2014 by the FIM-E Management Council in Riga. This was a great reward and of great satisfaction to the ASMK and to our Island Malta. The 2015 FIM-E Confer- ence in Malta was confirmed. The Association thanks Her Ex- cellency the President of Malta for supporting this event, the Parliamentary Secretary for Re- search, innovation, Youth and Sport, the Council for Maltese Sports KMS, the Finance Min- ister, the Minister for Tourism, Transport Malta, Malta Tourism Authority, Sign-it, Nexos, Cater- max, Delicata, Monster Energy Drink, General Soft Drinks and Mr. S. Curmi & Sons. For more information one can visit the ASMK Official website www.asmk.org.mt or the social site Facebook on pages 'ASMK Malta' or 'Association Sport Mu- turi u Karozzi' or email to: - info@ asmk.org.mt