MILAN, April 26, 2009 - The world’s sports media will gather in Milan this week for the 72^nd Congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

More than 350 sports journalists are expected from the 116 nations who have registered for the annual gathering at the Marriott Hotel from April 29 – May 3.

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 her 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 for a forum on football.

Federations

The world of sport will be represented by International Federation of Athletics Association (IAAF) president Lamine Diack, 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.

Lord Sebastian Coe, the Chairman of the 2012 London Olympic Organising Committee 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.

IOC member and IAAF vice-president, pole vault legend Sergey Bubka will also be present.

2016 Candidate Cities

The candidate cities for the Summer Olympic Games 2016 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.

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. Jorge Ribeiro will remain as treasurer.

Vice-presidential positions

Those who will stand for election to the five vice-president’s positions include Faisal AL QANAI,Kuwait, Nikolai DOLGOLOPOV, Russia, Laima JANUSONYTE, Lithuania, Petz LAHURE.,Luxembourg, Sandeep NAKAI,India, Mitchell OBI, Nigeria, Ernesto Ortiz Gomez, Uruguay,  Kap-Chul PARK, Korea, Raul GARCIA SALGUERO, Mexico, Kasonga TSCHILUNDE, DR Congo, Kostantinos VERNIKOS, Greece, Manoucher ZANDI, Iran.

Members’ positions

Among those who will stand for the positions as members of the executive committee are Mohammad AL MALKI, Qatar, Mohamed Ali BELHAJ, Libya, Youssef BERJAOUI,Lebanon, Dezso DOBOR, Hungary, Nikolai DOLGOLOPOV Russia, Mohamed Ould EL HACEN, Mauritania, Adolf Ingi ERLINGSSON, Iceland, Emanuel FANTANEANU,Romania, Laima JANUSONYTE, Lithuania, Petz LAHURE, Luxembourg, Sandeep NAKAI, India, Barry NEWCOMBE, Great Britain, Mitchell OBI, Nigeria, Ernesto ORTIZ GOMEZ, Uruguay, Raul GARCIA SALGUERO, Mexico, Kostantinos VERNIKOS, Greece, Evelyne WATTA, Kenya,  Manoucher ZANDI Iran, IHaifeng ZHANG China, Miha ZIBRAT Slovenia, Goodwill ZUNIDZA Zimbabwe, Hans Joachim ZWINGMANN Germany.

Official Congress programme