The 85th AIPS (International Sports Press Association) Congress, which took place in Seoul, in South Korea came to an end on Thursday. The agenda of this congress included the revision of the AIPS statute which was approved after more than two years of discussion within the statute commission. The congress also included presentations by various International Sports Federations about their visions and preparations for sports events that will be taking place in the coming months. Presentations were given by the International Olympic Committee which included an overview of the preparations for the Olympic Games which will be taking place in Paris next year. In addition, FIFA also presented a report about the preparations for the Women’s World Cup which is happening in Australia and New Zealand this Summer.

Other presentations were delivered by UEFA about the 2024 European Championship, by UNESCO about their education through sport project and by FISU where they gave insight information about the World University Games which are being held in China in 2024.

During his presentation Thomas Giordano, UEFA Head of Communications, mentioned the fact that UEFA and AIPS had agreed about the organization of another Young Reporters Programme which will be held around the UEFA EURO U19 Championship which will be hosted in Malta between the 3rd and 16th July 2023. In this regard the Malta Sports Journalists Association together with AIPS is giving an opportunity to a Maltese prospective sports journalist to collaborate with a group of other foreign young reporters from around the world and experience a full immersion of sports reporting and journalism.

The 85th edition of the AIPS Congress kicked off with the AIPS Sports Media Awards ceremony where several honours were awarded in several different sports journalism categories together with other special mentions and recognitions.

Sandro Micallef and Lorraine Cunningham President and General Secretary respectively of the Malta Sports Journalists Association represented Malta in this Congress. Their participation was possible through the assistance of Together Gaming Solutions which is one of the association’s official sponsors. Charles Camenzuli, President AIPS Europe and AIPS Vice President was also in Seoul for the Congress.

During this Congress the General Assembly of AIPS Europe was also held in which it was decided that in view of the current situation of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, AIPS Europe will write formally to the International Olympic Committee to reconsider its position regarding Russian and Belarus athletes who will be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Il-Ħamis ġie fi tmiemu l-85 Kungress tal-AIPS (l-Assoċjazzjoni Internazzjonali tal-midja sportiva) li kien qed isir f’Seoul il-Korea t’Isfel. Fuq l-aġenda ta’ dan il-Kungress kien hemm ir-reviżjoni tal-istatut tal-AIPS li issa ġie approvat wara iktar minn sentejn ta’ diskussjoni bil-kontribut tal-kummissjoni li kienet responsabbli minn dan il-proġett. Il-Kungress kien jinkludi wkoll diversi preżentazzjonijiet minn Federazzjonijiet Internazzjonali li kollha kemm huma ppreżentaw il-viżjoni u l-preparazzjoni tagħhom għall-avvenimenti sportivi maġġuri fix-xhur li ġejjin. Fost dawn kien hemm preżentazzjoni mill-Kumitat Olimpiku Internazzjonali dwar l-aħħar preparazzjoni għall-Olimpjadi f’Pariġi s-sena d-dieħla kif ukoll il-FIFA tat rendikont tal-aħħar tħejjijiet tat-Tazza tad-Dinja tan-Nisa li se ssir l-Awtralja u New Zealand fis-sajf li ġej.

Preżentazzjonijiet oħra saru mill-UEFA dwar il-kampjonat Ewropew tas-sena 2024, mill-UNESCO dwar il-proġett tagħhom ta’ edukazzjoni permezz tal-isport u mill-FISU dwar il-World University Games li se jsiru fiċ-Ċina s-sena d-dieħla.

Fil-preżentazzjoni ta’ Thomas Giordano, Kap tal-Komunikazzjoni fi ħdan il-UEFA, saret referenza għall-fatt li l-UEFA reġgħat laħqet ftehim mal-AIPS biex ikun organizzat Young Reporters Programme ieħor li se jkun qed isir proprju waqt il-Kampjonat UEFA Euro U19 li se jsir f’Malta bejn it-3 u s-16 ta’ Lulju. Għal dan il-programm l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports flimkien mal-AIPS qed joffru l-opportunità lil żagħżugħ jew żagħżugħa Maltija biex jingħaqdu ma’ grupp ta’ reporters żgħażagħ oħra minn madwar id-dinja u jesperjenzaw din il-ħidma ta’ rappurtaġġ u tagħlim ġurnalistiku.

Il-85 edizzjoni tal-Kungress AIPS fetaħ biċ-ċerimonja tal-AIPS Sports Media Awards fejn ġew mogħtija diversi unuri fil-kategoriji ġurnalistiki kollha kif ukoll rikonoxximenti oħra.

L-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports f’dan il-kungress kienet irrappreżentata mill-President Sandro Micallef u s-Segretarju Ġenerali Lorraine Cunningham. Il-parteċipazzjoni tagħhom kienet possibbli bl-assistenza tal-kumpanija Together Gaming Solutions li huma wieħed mill-isponsors uffiċjali tal-assoċjazzjoni. Preżenti wkoll għal dan il-kungress kien hemm Charles Camenzuli, President tal-fergħa Ewropea tal-AIPS u viċi President tal-AIPS.

F’dan il-kungress saret ukoll l-assemblea ġenerali tal-AIPS Europe li fiha ġew diskussi diversi materji fosthom is-sitwazzjoni tal-fotografi waqt il-qadi ta’ dmirijiethom u aktar benefiċċji għal min ikun membru fl-AIPS. Ġie deċiż ukoll li bħala konferma tas-solidarjetà kontinwa lejn il-ġurnalisti Ukreni, l-AIPS Europe se tkun qed tikteb lil-Kumitat Olimpiku Internazzjonali biex jirrikonsidera l-pożizzjoni tiegħu dwar id-deċiżjoni li atleti Russi u Belarussi jitħallew jikkompetu fl-Olimpjadi ta’ Pariġi 2024.