By; MUSA KUTAMA, Calabar
The President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Mr Honour Sirawoo has hailed the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS) for becoming an associate member of the newly named Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) at the 2017 Sport Accord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark.
Sirawoo, who stated this in Abuja shortly after congratulating the President of AIPS, Gianni Merlo in a telephone conversation, said the latest initiative has further widened the horizon of sports journalists across the world.
According to the SWAN boss, by becoming a member of GAISF, the ability and desire of sports journalists to cover series of international sporting events has been further deepened adding that this would strengthened the quest for the continued presence of sports journalists in the board of federations.
He noted that the current executive of AIPS is breaking new grounds in its effort to make sports journalists relevant and contribute to the growth and development of sports across the world.
Sirawoo congratulated President Gianni Merlo for the landmark achievement and assured him of the continuous support of SWAN as he intensifies move for a sanitised and respected AIPS.
The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) was formed at the 2017 SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark.
The final day of the Convention marked the beginning of a new chapter for GAISF -now formerly known as SportAccord – that included three changes to the Statute and the acceptance of three new members.
AIPS returned as an associate member of GAISF/SportAccord after a unanimous vote that further secured the relationship between sports media and international federations.
AIPS President Gianni Merlo was quoted as saying: “We are glad to be back and we look to strengthen the relationship between journalists and sport federations in this crucial fight to defend the values of sport; we have the responsibility to fight issues such as corruption, match-fixing, result manipulation and doping which continue to threaten the world of sport.”
