CSL Marks 25 Years of Sporting Excellence in Luxembourg

Non-profit athletics club CAL-Spora Luxembourg asbl (CSL) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a celebration at the Centre Culturel Schéiss in Luxembourg-Belair.

The event, which took place on Friday 21 November 2025, welcomed various members from Luxembourg’s sporting world, including Olympic athletes, Luxembourg Minister for Sport, Georges Mischo, and Sports Alderman of the City of Luxembourg, Simone Beissel.

Hosted by presenter Frank Elsen, the ceremony retraced the development of CSL since the merger of Cercle d’Athlétisme Luxembourg with Club Sportif Spora Luxembourg in 2000, a union that gave rise to one of the most significant sporting structures in the country.

The CSL noted that with five athletes qualified for the Olympic Games and 650 members today, it has established itself as a major force in Luxembourg athletics.

At the event, President of the Fédération luxembourgeoise d'athlétisme (FLA), Stéphanie Empain, said: “a solid club, rooted in the history of Luxembourg sport”, while the President of the Olympic and Sports Committee of Luxembourg (COSL), Michel Knepper, recalled the Olympic heritage of the two founding clubs.

The Sports Alderman of the City of Luxembourg, Simone Beissel, expressed her satisfaction with the collaboration with CSL and confirmed the progress of major infrastructure projects, including the Werferhaal in Cessange and the future stadium in Hamm.

Minister Mischo highlighted the “success story” of the club, reflecting the diversity and sporting ambition of the Grand Duchy.

In his address to the attendees, President of CSL, Xavier Thillen, emphasised three priorities for the future:

• the completion of the new stadium in Hamm, essential for athletes and for the Games of the Small States 2029;

• the training of the next generation of elite athletes, to continue the club’s international tradition;

• the renewal of the Board of Directors, to strengthen the club’s governance while remaining faithful to its values.

The evening continued with the presentation of the CSL’s anniversary book, recounting more than a century of sporting history, produced by Pierre Gricius and Roger Mathekovitsch, as well as the screening of a documentary film by Bernd Thill devoted to the emblematic figures of the club.

The four Olympians present — Liz May, Charline Mathias, Charles Grethen and Ruben Querinjean — then shared their experiences during a lively discussion.

The event then concluded with a walking-dinner.