Asia Supersports Group seals FIM Asia Supermoto Championships deal with Newcastle City Council

Asia Supersports Group (ASG) recently secured a three-year deal with the Newcastle City Council to host the first round of FIM Asia Supermoto Championships in the second most populous area of New South Wales, Australia. Satheswaran Mayachandran, chief executive officer of ASG, disclosed that the group has selected Australia as the first round which will be held on September 3 and 4, 2016.

[L-R] Graeme Boyd, CEO of Boyd Events Pty Ltd; Satheswaran M, 

CEO of Asia Supersports Group; and Nuatali Nelmes, Lord Mayor of 

Newcastle City at the launch of FIM Asia Supermoto Championship 

2016’s first round at Foreshore Park, Newcastle.

ASG, the exclusive rights holder of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championships sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme of Asia (FIM Asia), has embarked on a journey to promote supermoto as a major motorsport event in the region. The first series of championship held in 2015 featured over 18 top international riders from 12 countries including Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and United Kingdom.

“Supermoto is an emerging sport in the Asia Pacific region, with surging interest towards the profession. This deal with Newcastle will further expand the sport’s reach in the Oceania region, creating a rapidly growing platform that will engage and entertain two-wheel motorsport enthusiasts for years to come,” said Mayachandran.

                                                                   

He added that Newcastle is an ideal ground to kick start the 2016 series with its quality infrastructure, amenities, and sizable fan base. “Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok will also be selected to host the championship. Dates for these cities will be announced soon.”

[Left] Satheswaran M, CEO of Asia Supersports Group; presenting a memento to 

(center) Stuart Ayers, NSW Minister of Trade, Tourism, and Major Events and 

Minister of Sports; and (right) Graeme Boyd, CEO of Boyd Events Pty Ltd.

Supermoto, a race that combines various exciting elements of motocross, dirt track, and road racing in one discipline. Courses feature jumps, tight hairpin turns, and high-speed straights on both dirt and asphalt surfaces. Tracks and venues can vary considerably, allowing races to be held at racing circuits, sports stadiums, on open car parks, and on closed-course city streets. This unique sport offers pure excitement and adrenaline-filled fun for the spectators, who can be as close to the race as a few meters.

NSW Tourism, Major Events and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres mentioned that the race in Newcastle expects to draw more than 3,300 international overnight visitors over three years with an estimated visitor expenditure of AU$1.9-million (RM5.62-million), in addition to a sizable number of  local Australians. “We are pleased that ASG has selected Newcastle as the opening round of the championship series, driving a stronghold amount of visitors, tourists, and global supermoto enthusiasts to our city.”

The FIM Asia Supermoto Championships 2016 is organised by Asia Supersports Group, Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, CW Media Sdn Bhd, and E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd, supported by Destination NSW, Tourism Hunter, and Newcastle City Council.