From September 27-28 the XXXVII Annual Congress was celebrated in La Plata by the Federacion Argentina de Perioditas Deportivos (Sports Journalists’ Association of Argentina). The event was attended by more than twenty associated organisations.
Different topics were disussed during the congress, some of them pertaining to matters concerning the association itself, others linked to sports, and for the first time in the history of our association we have recognised our Masters in Sports Journalism and Fair Play.
The opening ceremony was held at ”El Salón Dorado de la Municipalidad de La Plata”, during which speeches were made by the president of the Association of Sports Journalists of La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada, FAPED President Marcial Cabello, Mr. Hugo Alberto Lencina and the mayor of the city of La Plata, Mr. Julio Alak. The different sessions were attended by representatives from Arrecifes, Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Comodoro Rivadavia, Córdoba, Chaco, Chubut, Jujuy, La Plata, Mendoza, Mercedes, Necochea, Pergamino, Rosario, Salta, San Juan, San Nicolás, Santiago del Estero, Venado Tuerto y Zárate, as well as members of the FAPED Executive Committee. Among the resolutions adopted we emphasize the proposal to create a commission with the aim to study the broadcasting law, to found regional associations, to write an internal regulation; to nominate a representative of the Association for making the accreditation processing easier and by this turn into life the agreement with the Basketball Clubs Association, to choose contact persons who should help revive inactive associations and to approve the venue of the next Executive Commitee meeting in 2006 in Zárate. A seminar was held at the “Salon Cultural Malvinas Argentinas”.
The most exciting moments during the congress were the presentations of distinctions to remarkable journalists both on a local level and national level. The ”Masters of Journalism” distinctions were awarded to Mr. Juan Carlos Fanjul from the city of La Plata and to Mr. Julio Ricardo. ”Fair Play” awards, in recognition of their ethical attitudes which exceed the competitive frame were given to Mr. Rubén Bedogni, ex-player of ”Estudiantes de La Plata” and to Mr. Sergio Vigil, the ”Leonas’s coach” who won the world champion title and the Olympic silver medal.
FAPED’s annual meeting of brotherhood among sports journalists from all over the country was a real success due to the enthusiastic participation of all its delegates.