November 7, 2009 (Bled, Slovania) – Dear Sport friends! More than 2,000 people from 42 countries have already registered to be part of this season’s biggest winter event for recreational athletes – the World Winter Masters Games (WWMG). By now more than 500 alpine skiers, around 400 cross-country skiers, 200 ski jumpers, 100 competitors in biathlon and over 30 ice hockey teams have registered to have an “Olympic” style experience. In addition, futsal teams from many countries have decided to register.

The winter edition of the Masters Games will be held for the first time and the host city can not be better – the Alpine pearl Bled in Slovenia, which will host recreational athletes from the whole world between January 25 and January 31, 2010. Because so many athletes still want to compete, the deadline for registration has been extended until December 25, 2009. International federations, among which also belong FIS, IBU, IIHF and FIFA, under the International Masters Games Association have decided to offer master sportsmen around the world the opportunity to compete in their favorite winter sport and feel the excitement of big sport events.

The main idea of the Games is that everyone can compete – a former Olympic champion, national or local competitor or recreational athlete who loves sport and the opportunity to meet people from the whole world. Among those who are eagerly expecting the World Winter Masters Games to start are also the former Austrian alpine skier, two times bronze medalist at the Olympic Games, Christian Maier and one of the best Slovenian skiers, also third at the Olympic games, Jure Kosir. The cyclist Tadej Valjavec will also compete in winter sports – this time in cross-country skiing. He will be joined by former record holder in the longest ski jump Joze Slibar. In alpine skiing not only will participants have the chance to compete against former professional skiers, but also against more than 20 Australian, Israeli and Spanish skiers who will come to Kranjska Gora at the time when the best skiers will be competing in the FIS Alpine World Cup.

FIFA placed futsal as a promotional sport at the Games, which resulted in great interest among futsal fans. That Masters Games are for everyone is demonstrated by the Olympic champion of 1964 and 1968 and World Champion in Men’s Pommel Horse Miroslav Cerar, who will join his friends, actor Janez Hocevar Rifle and journalist Tone Fornezzi Tof, in the futsal tournament. Perhaps they will compete against teams from Ghana, France, Great Britain, Bosnia or Slovenia, which are just a few of those that have already registered.

The number of registered ice hockey teams has reached a new limit as already 30 teams have registered from countries such as Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, the United States, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia, as well as 10 Slovenian teams.

World cup venues such as Kranjska Gora, where alpine skiers will be racing, and the completely new sports centre in Pokljuka, in addition to Bled as the host city, will soon be ready to host the biggest winter multi-sport event for recreational athletes. Great venues, proximity of accommodation possibilities and Bled as the central location are a guarantee that these Games will create an “Olympic” atmosphere also for recreational athletes just before the Olympic Games in Canada.

Visit www.2010mastersgames.com