POSTED: Tuesday April 28th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World Sports Media To Gather In Milan

PRESS CONFERENCE: YELENA ISINBAYEVA, APRIL 30

MILAN, April 28, 2009 -  More than 350 sports journalists are expected from the 116 nations who have registered for the  the 72nd Congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) at the Marriott Hotel from April 29 – May 3. Among them will be colleagues from Iraq, Somalia, Palestine, Pakistan and the Sudan.

Yelena Isinbayeva
Russian world pole vault champion and AIPS female Athlete of the Year for the past two years Yelena Isinbayeva will attend the congress to receive her 2008 award. The two-time Olympic gold medallist who holds an incredible 26 world records will be accompanied by coach Vitaly Petrov and will conduct a press conference at 10.30am, April 30 in the Marriott Gazebo.

Football Forum
Italy football coach Marcello Lippi who led his team to victory in the 2006 World Cup, Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti, and A.C. Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf will join FIFA’s newly-appointed communications director Hans Klaus, UEFA media and communications director William Gaillard and Giovanni Maggi from gaming company SISAL to discuss latest developments in world football during the afternoon of April 30.

Federations
The world of sport will be represented by International Federation of Athletics Association (IAAF) vice-president and IOC member pole vault legend Sergey Bubka, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) secretary general Patrick Baumann, International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) press officer Fabrizio Rossini, Hein Verbruggen - former president of the International Cycling Federation (UCI) and now president of Sportaccord (formerly  the General Association of International Sport Federations), Ottavio Cinquanta, president of the International Sakting Federation (ISU), Gianfranco Kasper president of the International Ski Federation (FIS),  Mediterranean  Games Pescara 2009 Commissioner Mario Pescante, and Mino Auletta, President of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), who will all make presentations to the delegates.

Sebastian Coe
Lord Sebastian Coe, the Chairman of the 2012 London Olympic Organising Committee (LOCOG) and Vice President of the IAAF will outline preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games and Amadeo Ricottili, manager of media operations for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics will update the congress on media arrangements for next year’s Games.
2016 Olympic Candidate Cities to present bids
The candidate cities for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will use the AIPS congress as a forum to present their bids. The congress will hear presentations from 2016 Olympic
Games candidate cities Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid. Chairman and CEO of the Chicago 2016 bid Patrick Ryan, Tokyo 2016 Deputy Director General Yasuhiro Nakamori, Ingo Ostrovsky, Head of Communications for Rio 2016, and Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon will speak to the delegates on behalf of their organisations.

AIPS Elections
This year’s congress will see the quadrennial elections for the AIPS executive committee. Well known and respected journalist for Italy’s leading sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gianni Merlo who has led AIPS for the past four years is unopposed and will lead the organisation for another four-year term. Merlo is a member of the IAAF, IOC and FIFA press commissions.

The first-vice president’s position is also unopposed and will be filled by top Turkish journalist Esat Yilmaer, sports editor of Hurriet Daily News who has worked as the AIPS interim secretary general for the past 12 months. Former president of the Portuguese Sports Press Association  (CNID) Jorge Ribeiro will remain as treasurer. Five vice president’s positions and 16 appointments to the executive committee will be voted on.

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Keywords · AIPS · sports press · Milan · Mario Pescante · Seb Coe · Yelena Isinbayeva · Marcello Lippi · Javier Zanetti · Javier Zanetti · Sergey Bubka · Patrick Baumann · Fabrizio Rossini · Hein Verbruggen · Ottavio Cinquanta · Gianfranco Kasper · Mino Auletta

Name: Roslyn Morris
Organization: AIPS
Email:
Phone: +39 3924367409
URL: http://www.aipsmedia.com/index.php

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