At the second day of the 72nd AIPS Congress in Milano/Italy FISU EC member Dr. Verena Burk (Vice Chair of FISU International Press Committee) attended the meetings and presentations and used the possibility to get in contact with the sports media delegates from 110 countries and with a large number of representatives of international sport organisations.
The 1st of May, 2009 started with reports from AIPS President Gianni Merlo (Italy), AIPS General Secretary Esat Yilmaer (Turkey) and Treasurer Jorge Ribeiro (Portugal). In the following elections Gianni Merlo (ITA) was re-elected for another 4 years as AIPS President. Laima Janusonyte (Lithuania), Konstantinos Vernikos (Greece), Faisal Al Qanai (Kuwait), Nickolai Dolgopolov (Russia) and Manouchehr Zandi (Iran) make up the team of Vice-presidents. Eight other members complete the AIPS Executive Committee for the next four years.
Different presentations followed in the programme. First Sebastian Coe (Chair of LOCOG) reported about the current state of preparation of London for the Olympic Games in 2012. Amedeo Ricottilli (Main Press Centre Manager at VANOC) explained to the international press the opportunities for their work at the Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010. Presentations about the Mediterranean Games in Pescara (Italy) in 2009 (Mario Pescante, IOC member and Member of the Executive of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games), the International Ski Federation (Gianfranco Kasper, President of FIS) and SportAccord (Hein Verbruggen, President of SportAccord) followed. One of the highlights was the presentations of the bidding cities for the Summer Olympic Games 2016. Delegations from Chicago (USA), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) and Madrid (Spain) showed and explained their concepts for the Games – always under the focus of their work for the international media and press. A dinner at the Sforzesco Castle in Vivevano finished the day and gave another possibility to meet people and explained them the work of FISU in the international sports movement. On the 2nd of May, 2009 the AIPS Congress continued with internal reports and discussions. A visit of the Monza Autodrome and the S.Siro Stadium for the match Inter Miland – Lazio Rome finished an interesting and informative 72nd AIPS Congress.
Gianni Merlo re-elected as AIPS President
Pole Vault Legend Sergei Bubka