5/22/08

Democratic Republic of Congo fails to secure bid for 72nd AIPS Congress

By GNA
Thu, 22 May 2008
Sports News
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The Democratic Republic of Congo has failed to secure the rights to host the next Congress of the Association of International Press for Sports (AIPS).
This was after the Executive Committee of the Association selected Milan, Italy and Antalya for the 2009 and 2010 congresses respectively.
DR Congo competed along side Turkey, Italy and Serbia.
According to the one of the reasons made available to the continental session of the Congress on Thursday, DR Congo's failure to secure the bid was due to the fact that traveling to Africa was expensive and this could affect attendance at the Congress.
DR Congo has therefore been tasked to organise annual congress of the Africa Sports Journalists Union (ASJU), AIPS Executive Committee Meeting to justify their demand for the right to host the Congress.
The stand raised tempers at the continental session with most African delegates questioning the decision of the AIPS Executive Committee.
African delegates argued that they have on several occasions traveled to Asia and South America for congresses which were equally long distances and expensive and wondered why the Committee decided to use such a reason against DR Congo.
Some of the Africa delegates were of the view that high profile conferences have been held on the continent without any worry and that the decision of the Executive Committee was unjustified.
ASJU therefore registered its displeasure formally to Congress stating that the continent will no longer accept such treatments.
Mr Kasonga Tshilunde, President of the Sports Writers Association of DR Congo described the decision as unfair since his outfit once hosted the event in 1988 without any difficulty.
He said the situation will kill initiatives of member countries adding that Africa has come of age and deserved a better deal.
Mr Mitchel Obi, Executive Member of the AIPS as well as ASJU calmed down tempers at the Session and asked that the continent put its house in order to make a better bid in future.
He said ASJU is on the ascendancy and with time, it will be able to host the rest of the world in Africa.
19 African countries made representation at the Congress.
They include Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, Swaziland, DR Congo, Uganda, Tunisia, Cameroon, Benin, Congo Brazzaville, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi, Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Tanzania, Benin and Libya made up the African representation.

(William Ezah, GNA Special Correspondent, Beijing, China)
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